Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - Explorers of Memories
by dsk555
Summary: A shinx finds an injured vulpix who has lost her memories. Together, they begin a journey to recover her past. Includes: Knotting, MxF. Chapters marked with an (X) include a sex scene.
1. Chapter 1

Phantom the Shinx

Unnamed Vulpix

PMD - Explorers of Memories

Chp1

The sun hung low in the sky, the horizon a deep orange in the evening light. A lone shinx sat on the rocks of the beach just outside of Journey town. Journey town was one of the biggest gathering points for exploration teams on the continent. The town had been formed by rescue teams for rescue teams. Over time, normal people seeking the protection of powerful pokemon and eager young adventurers alike congregated to the town, making it one of the largest around. This shinx was neither of the two. The shinx, named Phantom, was a relatively normal shinx, though his fur was dark blue instead of light.

Phantom had came to the town originally to join a rescue team, but... He really had no idea why he hadn't. His desires seemed to wane when he arrived. Ever since he had lived in a little cave along the beach. It was high enough in the rocks that it never flooded during storms and tides. His home was well hidden too, giving him plenty of privacy even in a public place like this. At this time, most people were in town instead of on the beach, though sometimes people wondered down here. Tonight it was empty, allowing him to relax without worry of anyone barging in and making a ruckus. He just sat there, taking in the sights of the sunset, hearing the gentle roar of the waves hitting the rocks, the calm breeze carrying the salty smell of the sea...

"Hey, kid." A gruff voice said. Phantom briefly panicked, almost falling off from the rocks into the water. He managed to catch his balance and turned around to find a massive typhlosion looking right at him with a grim expression. "You seen anybody around here?"

"Yea... there's people here all the time..." Phantom squeaked out, terrified by the large pokemon staring him down.

"That's not what I meant!" The fire type growled. "Have you seen anyone... odd around here, like someone acting weird, or someone that didn't belong?"

"N-n-no, j-just the u-usual p-people."

Without a word, the typhosion turned around and walked away. The cowering feline watched him go, slowly recovering from the scare. *What just happened...* He wondered. He went back to watching the sunset, but keep his ears up and alert. Everything was fine, the sunset like normal and the stars came out. Like normal, the shinx could not help but stare at their magical glimmers. He was entranced until his ears flicked at a sound. He tried to figure out what it was, until it happened again. A faint whimper happened again.

Phantom leaped from his rock, tracking the quiet whimpering further down the beach. He found his way to the secluded section of the beach, a place where young couples would often come for dates. Laying on the sand, just in the path of the rising tide, was a vulpix. It was shivering as the water came rolling into it, causing a whimper with every splash. The injured fox seemed to not have the strength to move.

Phantom rushed over to it, "Are you okay?!" He asked urgently. All the vulpix did was whimper again, its eyes shut tight. Phantom crawled behind the vulpix and began pushing it away from the water. Once he got them away from the approaching tide, he tried to rouse them again. "Get up." He urged, poking them with a paw. When only answered with another whimper and shivering, he was confronted with a decision. He was generally shy and was essentially a recluse, only going to town to get food. As much as he hated to admit it, this vulpix needed help, he couldn't just leave them here. Town was too far away to carry a pokemon of equal size. The only option remaining... was his den.

Phantom took hold of the nape of the vulpix's neck and started dragging it towards his den. The vulpix did not struggle, but the whimpering did intensify. He slowly and as gently as possible dragged the quivering fox to his cave and put them inside. He piled up some of his spare tinder and, with a careful spark, started a fire. He put the soaked fire type next to it to dry off and went to gather up some berries and apples from his storage for dinner.

He returned dragging a leaf with the food on it. He sat down in front of it, on the other side of the fire. The vulpix was still out cold. As worried as he was, his stomach was winning out so he began to eat. As he was eating, the vulpix shifted, its six tails moving around. Through the storm of tails, he caught a glimpse of her crotch. A blush ran through him as he realized what he saw. This was the closest he had ever been to a female of his age. Just that lone thought caused his blush to intensify several shades.

He turned away, facing the wall of the cave as he ate, though his appetite seemed to vanish. The shinx took a few nibbling bites at his apple before he got up. He pulled the leaf over to the vulpix and left it in front of her incase she woke up. With that he went into the other room of the cave where his bedding was and laid down. He tried to fall asleep but his thoughts were in a jumble. He had been so okay with trying to help her before he knew she was a girl, so why did that suddenly change so much. Why was he so nervous now?!

Phantom was tossing and turning in frustration. When he finally started to feel tired, he was awoken by a nudge to his side. "Excuse me?" A quiet voice said. He rolled over to find the vulpix standing next to him, her fur still wet. "Where am I?" She asked.

"Oh-um- yea... I found you unconscious on the beach. I brought you here to warm up."

"But where are we?"

"Oh, we're just outside of Journey town. If you head on up the road you'll reach it in no time."

"That's not what I meant." She whined. "Where... who am I?"

"What? You... don't remember who you are?" Phantom asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"I don't remember anything... Not to be rude, but why do you have different fur than me?"

"Well, I'm a shinx and you're a vulpix. Do you not even remember pokemon species?"

"Shinx, vulpix, pokemon... none of that means anything to me..." She said, her eyes shimmering with the beginnings of tears. "I'm so confused!" She nearly screamed.

Phantom had no idea what to do. He wanted to help her somehow, but a situation like this... "Listen, how about this. In the morning we'll go to town and try to figure something out. You're still dripping so you should sleep by the fire."

"But the rocks are hard. Why can't I just sleep in here?"

Phantom blushed hard, though his fur hid it well. "B-b-because you need to stay warm..."

The vulpix turned around and returned shortly with a bundle of sticks in her mouth. She dropped them and repeated the process a few times until there was a pile. "Start the fire in here." She urged, motioning to the pile.

"It might spread to the bedding..."

The vulpix walked past it and sat down on the bedding of leaves. She laid her head down and curled up, shivering a bit. Phantom could see that it was intentional but he really he no idea how to continue arguing. He pushed the sticks further away from the bedding and set it alight, filling the small room with a flickering orange glow. He returned to the bed and got as far away from the vulpix as he could before settling down. He was careful to fully hide himself, just in case he got an erection in his sleep.

"Well?" The large typhlosion asked. He had a scar along his nose, and a chunk of one ear missing, adding to his intimidating appearance. He turned to face the other pokemon in the shadows.

"Nothing. No signs." A voice in the darkness said.

"You find her!" He growled. "I didn't go through all this trouble for nothing!"

"But how can we find one pokemon on such a big continent?" A machop asked, coming out from hiding.

The typhlosion darted forward, holding the fighting types head under his paws. "Any other questions?!" He snarled, scanning the figures still hidden in shadow. He batted the machop aside. "Now get back to work!"

"So where are we going?" Vulpix asked while following Phantom.

They were on a path, leading up a hill. In the distance, not too far away, was Journey town.

"There is this nice old pokemon in town. He always tells the best stories, so I figure maybe he might know something about this." Phantom explained as he led.

"Stories?! I appreciate you helping me... but that doesn't seem very helpful..."

"Well I'm sorry, if you have a better idea, I'm all ears." Phantom said sassily. "Anyways, do you have a name? Most pokemon don't go by their species name around here."

"I don't know! If I did, I don't remember it..." She said. Despite her attitude, he could tell she was scared and confused.

"That's okay. I... yeah." He wanted to promise her that he would help her, but he didn't want to seem to clingy. He was coming to terms with his shyness from her being female, though he still was awkward around most other pokemon.

Soon, they arrived in town. There were pokemon everywhere, though most didn't pay the pair any mind as they busily hurried along. Phantom led the way through the crowded market, making sure to go slow so as not to lose the vulpix. She was amazed, not able to stop gawking at every sight around. This place was huge and full of so many different pokemon.

They exited the busy area of town and headed through a park. At the end of the park was a lake. Just beyond the lake was a large mountain, reflected on the crystal clear waters. At the base of the mountain was a cave, where the oldest living pokemon in the town lived. The two pokemon walked along the edge of the lake, Phantom speeding up his pace now without a crowd to worry about. Vulpix on the other hand, could not stop looking at the lake, getting lost in it. Every once in a while, a pokemon would leap from the water, sending ripples along its mirror like surface. She had to keep rushing ahead to catch back up.

They then reached the cave. Phantom called out from the entrance, "Hello, Elder? You home?"

An aged voice answered. "Yes. Come in Phantom."

He looked back to make sure Vulpix was still there before going in, motioning with his head for her to follow. Inside the cave, sat a wrinkled slowking.

"Phantom. Good to see you again. Who is your friend?" He said, pointing to the vulpix.

She stepped forward, puffing her chest out proudly, though her entire body was shaking. "I am... Never mind that. I need your help. I lost my memories and Phantom thought you could help me."

"Your memories? What a precious thing to lose. Come here, young one." He said, motioning with a paw slowly and gently. Vulpix obliged and stood before the water and psychic type. He carefully place a paw on her head and his eyes began to glow blue. She could feel a prickling feeling run through her thoughts but she remained still. "Your memories are gone. Blank. There are none, besides the most recent ones. I have never seen something like this before. With amnesia, they are simply buried and inaccessible, but for you, there are no memories at all, not even evidence of them exists. There's something almost mystical about it." He took his paw off her head and she looked up at him with worry. "I am sorry, but there is nothing more I can do. Maybe the legendary pokemon could do more than I, but it is far too dangerous for pups like you to pursue finding them."

"It's alright," She said. "I'll manage." She was putting up a tough front, but her body was quivering. She turned away from the slowking and Phantom could see tears begin to wet her fur. "Let's go." She bolted out of the cave.

"Poor thing." Elder said, shaking his head, before sitting back down.

Phantom hurried out after her, to find her with her face buried in the water. She resurfaced, shaking the liquid from her fur. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Y-y-yeah. I... I'm fine." She said in a pitiful voice.

"Don't give up hope! He said the legendary pokemon might be able to help, so we can find them and ask them."

"He said it was too dangerous..."

"For kids like us, but if we join a rescue team, we will have the help of some of the strongest pokemon in the world! We might even learn more along the way!"

"And why do care about me so much!? Why do you want to change your life just to help me?!"

"I... I... I don't know."

"Is it because I'm a girl!? Are you just trying to get some tail?!"

"No! I guess it's because you're the first person I've felt close to. I've never had any friends before..."

"Oh... listen, I'm sorry for giving you a hard time. Thank you for trying so hard for me. Let's do it! Besides, it could be fun!" They began to walk back to town, side by side this time. On the way, Vulpix let out a noise. Phantom turned to her.

"What is it?" He asked, an ear cocking.

"Something that slowking said, something about this whole thing being mystical. How about Mystic?"

"Mystic what?"

"My name. Mystic."


	2. Chapter 2

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp2

 _A/N: Base form pokemon are typically considered as children, no matter their age. Pokemon that evolve through levels often would evolve with age/wisdom/strength, so most pokemon would evolve after a few years at most. No pokemon featured in any sexual sense are real cubs._

Both pokemon, a vulpix and a shinx, were nervously shifting back and forth. Mystic was trotting around in a circle while Phantom sat on his rear, tapping his forepaws against the ground. They were both in front of the rescue federation headquarters, a massive multi story building. Around the door were three statues, a Swampert, a Lucario and an Ampharos. Those three pokemon were legendary, known for being the greatest rescue team ever. It was they that formed the federation as it existed today. Before them, it had been scattered, local groups working for their own towns, but now, all rescue teams were united, working together for all pokemon.

A few minutes ago, the pair of small pokemon had arrived at the gate. They were met with a grizzled looking charizard.

"Excuse me... sir?" Phantom squeaked out.

The charizard grunted and turned to him. His body was covered in nicks and scars, a gigantic circle shaped one on his chest, and one of his horns missing.

Phantom immediately cowered back under the giant pokemon's gaze. Mystic stepped up and took his place. "We are going to join a rescue team. Where do we sign up?" She said with an air of authority, seemingly unfazed by the pseudo-dragon.

"You? Kids don't need to be in here. Go home and play." He said in a gruff tone, waving them off.

"We're not kids!" She yelled, standing defiantly. "I actually don't know how old I am..." She muttered under her breath.

"Sh-she's right. I-I'm about three years old." Phantom chimed in, almost hiding behind Mystic's puffy tails.

"Three years old and you haven't even become a Luxio? That's understandable for a vulpix but a shinx like you... Face it pup, you're weak. The entry test would chew you up and spit you back out. Your parents probably want you home for lunch, so stop bothering me!" He growled. He was very clearly becoming annoyed and smoke began to drift out of his nostrils.

Mystic started forward, stepping around the orange behemoth. "Come on Phantom. Screw this guy!" Phantom followed, actively avoiding the charizard's gaze. Just after they passed into the building, a voice came from behind them.

"Last door on your left."

Phantom looked back, but the charizard was already facing away.

The pair went down the specified path, passing by a couple large boards with job postings. The next door was closed, and past that was the end of the hall, a single large door sitting there. As they proceeded, Phantom hurried forward to catch up with the determined vulpix.

"What's with you?" He quietly asked. "Just a little bit ago you were in tears..."

"I feel alive! There's a chance and I'm gonna take it, no matter what anyone says!"

"How can you be so confident..." He muttered as she sped off again, nearly sprinting to the door. The moment she arrived, she pushed it open and entered the room beyond. Phantom was right behind her.

The walls of the room were covered by bookshelves and cabinets, filled with books and paper respectively. In the middle of the room was a large wooden desk, covered in papers. Behind the desk was a mienshao, who was working rapidly to fill out all the paperwork. She noticed the door open, but she didn't even stop working, only saying "May I help you?"

"We want to either join or start a rescue team." Mystic said, adding, "Please."

This caught her attention, her head raising to look at the pair. "You? Are you sure?"

"Y-Yea. Please miss, we are ready." Phantom said, stepping up beside Mystic.

"Very well." She turned around and opened one of the filing cabinets. "Are you applying to join or to create?"

"Uhh... What's the difference?" Mystic asked.

"To join, you need to fill out an application to join a specific team. Then they would have to accept you. If you do that, you don't need to take the entry test. You can also sign up for a wildcard team. You then take the test and then be assigned to a team that's looking for members. If you want to create your own team, you must take the test. The difference is that your new team would be just you two and not have much recognition, whereas if you were to join a well established one..."

"Create." Mystic said.

Phantom gave her a look and a nudge. "Are you sure?" He whispered.

"Create." She said again with a nod.

"Very well." The Mienshao said, taking out a sheet of paper. She walked around the desk and took a jar of ink with a brush off it. "Both of you sign this. Paw print, here." She said, pointing to the bottom of the sheet. They each held up a paw, which she painted with ink, before they stamped it onto the sheet. "Excellent. Once you pass the test you will have to fill out the rest. Then you will be an official rescue team. If you go out into the yard, you will see the training grounds. Past that is the entry dorms. Talk to Duchess and she'll set you up. You're lucky, the tests are held every weekend, starting early tomorrow morning."

"Thanks." Phantom said. Mystic was already half way out the door. He turned and hurried to catch back up. The pair headed back to the main room. Once there, they went straight out the second large opening out into a wide area. There were numerous training implements: dummies, hay bales, obstacle courses and the like. To the left of that was a connection to the main building. To the right, was another building connected to the main one, but this one had many windows, hinting that it was a dorm. To the north end of the yard was another dorm building, but much smaller.

They headed to this building, walking past a few groups of pokemon training in the yard. Inside, they were met with a nidoqueen behind a desk.

"Hello there." She said, stepping out from behind her desk. "New recruits?"

"Yep! Can you tell me anything about the test?" Mystic asked, getting right to the point.

"All in due time. Follow me to your room. I'm Duchess by the way." She said. She turned around and checked a chart on the wall before turning and motioning for them to follow. On the way she gave them a rundown of the building. "South of here is the main building. On the west wing you have Marie's office, she takes care of all the formal stuff, and the job boards. Just up from there is the market, where we have plenty of shops set up. On the other side, the ease wing, we have the dining room and kitchen and the team dorms. It's not too hard to find your way around. And here we are." She finished, stopping in front of a curtain. They had gone up to the third floor.

All three pokemon stepped through the curtain into the small room beyond. The room had a window close to the floor, though it was covered by another curtain. On the floor were three small beds of grass. "This is your room, number 305. The restroom is to the left and there is water and berries to your right, though if you are looking for a meal, go to the dining room." Duchess said, already heading out of the room.

"Wait! What about the entry test?!" Mystic shouted after her.

She stopped and came back in. "It starts tomorrow morning. I can't tell you anything more, it's against the rules. I'll make sure you're up on time." She said before leaving once again.

They both took a bed, Phantom on the left, and Mystic on the right. They consolidated the middle one, spreading the bedding equally to each of their own beds. They took a few minutes to get comfortable before Mystic spoke up.

"Damn." She muttered.

"What?" He asked.

"I want to get to work. I can't stand just sitting around!" She whined.

"Things will work out just fine. Relax. Being so on edge can't be good for you."

"I know." She said, but her face didn't look so sure.

"How about we go get some food? Then we can practice until dark."

"Phantom. Seriously, thank you. You really don't have to force yourself to help me."

"I'm not forcing it. You're my friend. Plus, I've wanted to do something new but... I was always too shy to do anything about it."

"You have nothing to be shy about. You're a good person." She said, getting up and putting a paw on his.

"T-thanks." He said, a light blush forming, though his dark blue fur hid it well. He got up too, and they both left to go get some lunch.

In the dining room, there were tons of pokemon. A wide range of sizes and evolutionary states sat all over the large room. The pair followed the signs into the kitchen line. In the kitchen was a blissey, wearing a large apron over her plump body.

"What can I get you two?" She chirped when their time came.

"Hi. We're new here, so what have you got?" Mystic asked.

"Well welcome then. I'm dumpling, the main chef. I would recommend some apples. You should start simple. Once you get comfortable you can try some of our other foods." She said, taking a couple apples out of a barrel. She set them before the two pokemon. They took a hold of them with their teeth and headed out to the dining room. They ate their food, and once done, they went back out into the yard.

"So... I guess you don't know how to use your moves do you?" Phantom asked her once they arrived.

"Moves?" She responded in confusion.

"That's what I thought. How do I explain it? Watch me." He said, going over to an unused dummy. "I'll do it slow so watch carefully." His body tensed and he raised his hackles. He bared his fangs, then lunged his head forward. A bolt of electricity fired out of his body and hit the dummy. Sparks flew across its body for a moment before they faded, revealing it completely unharmed. "Hmm, I guess it is resistant to moves. So did you see it?" He asked, turning back to Mystic.

She was standing there with her mouth open. "That. Was. Awesome!" She shouted, hopping up and down excitedly. "Can I really do that?!"

"Well, no. I am an electric type. You're a fire type, so you can breathe fire."

"Cool, so how do I do it?"

"You just kinda do it. For me, I feel a buildup in my body, and then I unleash it."

"Okay, let me try." She said, stepping past him. She repeated his actions, taking a deep breath, tensing her body, and looking intently at the dummy. She took another deep breath, held it... and with a puff, she breathed out a small ball of smoke that immediately dissipated. She fell back and began to cough violently.

Phantom rushed over to her, patting her back in an attempt to help. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yea, *cough* yea." She said, catching her breath again. She stood up again for another attempt. This time though, instead of a puff, she pursed her lips and blew. A small ball of fire came out of her mouth, flying forward, only to land short and sputter out. She blinked quickly, unbelieving of what just happened. "I did it!" She shouted suddenly, drawing a couple of looks from nearby pokemon.

"Yea, now let's work on accuracy." Phantom told her, guiding her through things.

"I feel so cool! I can breathe freaking fire!" Mystic said later that night, once they had retired.

"Well, I can shoot lightning but you don't hear me bragging. Anyways, you made a lot of progress. It takes most pokemon several months to learn to use moves." Phantom said, lying down on his bed. The room was lit by a lantern. Several other oil lamps were hung out in the hallway, though their light did not penetrate the curtain. "We should get to sleep. We need to be rested for whatever is going down tomorrow."

"I guess. I'm going to the bathroom. You can go ahead and put out the lantern, I'll be fine."

"Alright. Good night." He said, blowing out the light after she left. He stretched out before curling up. He quickly began to shiver. This building was so much colder than his cave. He tried shifting and curling up tighter, but it did no good.

"Here." Mystic suddenly said, scaring him. She laid down next to him, putting her body against his. Her natural fire type body temperature did wonders, though his mind was in full blown panic.

"But, But, I-"

"Stop. You can't sleep if you're cold. We've slept close together before, so just stow it."

Once again, she had set her mind to something and he had no way of disagreeing. He could feel his sheath swell up, but he tried to get his mind off of it. He put all his effort into ignoring the reality and just accepting the warmth. Soon, it worked, and he fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 3

"EVERYBODY WAKE UP! THE EXAM IS IN 30 MINUTES!" Duchess' voice ripped through the morning air of the newbie dorms.

Phantom nearly jumped out of his fur. He was in the shower room when the call was made. The 'shower' was more of a large bath, consistently filled with warm water from a pump. The only real falling water was from the small fake waterfall that supplied the heated water. He had woken up first, only a few minutes ago. When he awoke, he found Mystic sleeping soundly on her back, in the middle of the room, far off from the actual beds. Her paws were clasped together on her chest and she had a smile plastered on her face.

He finished up cleaning and headed back out. There were no drying contraptions or towels or anything of the sort, so his fur remained dripping as he returned to the room. On his way, he passed by Mystic, who was on her way to the bathroom. "Good morning." He said as he did.

She made a groggy sound that might have been "Morning" in response.

He went back into the room and sat down to wait for her. Then they could go take the test. His mind once again drifted back to Mystic, particularly her gender. He had always been a pervert, but it had never really been a problem due to his reclusive nature. The bathroom was even coed. Maybe he should head in there and help her get ready... "No dammit!" He shouted to break the thought. "She's my friend... I can't treat her like that. She's not some object for my desires."

"Who are you talking to?" Mystic asked as she poked her head through the curtain.

"AHH!" He screamed, backing away from her in fear. "Did you hear any of that?"

"No. Why, are you talking to yourself?" She said in a teasing manner.

"Yeah... Anyways, let's go. We should probably get there early. And let's grab a few berries on the way." He said, as they both headed out. They went to the other side this time, stopping by a basket full of berries. Phantom nudged through it until he found a couple of oran and a pecha.

"So, what's the deal with these things? Why do they all look so different?" Mystic asked as she watched him.

"They're berries. They have five common flavors: sweet, spicy, bitter, dry and sour. Each kind can have any combination. My favorite are the sweet ones, the pecha berry. The oran, these blue ones, are pretty middle of the road. No distinct flavor, but still pretty good. Start with those, then you can experiment later." They both ate a light snack and then went down the stairs.

Just outside the doors of the dorm was Duchess. "Oh, hurry you two. Everybody else is already here, so maybe you can start early." She ushered them over to where the other four teams stood.

Phantom was quickly put at ease after seeing them. Unlike the staff, they were also all small pokemon. The pair took their place and shortly after, a marowak standing before them began to speak.

"Welcome recruits. I am Crash, your instructor. You are all here because you wish to become rescue teams. Your reasons do not matter, only your passing of this test. Before we begin, are there any questions?" He said.

"I have one!" A voice roared. Over the eastern building flew an orange dragon. The familiar Charizard flew over the crowd, breathing a stream of fire in their direction, but it died down before harming anyone. With a loud thud he landed next to the marowak. "How many of you are cowards?!" He yelled at the young pokemon.

Phantom swallowed audibly and took a small step back.

The marowak looked over at the large fire type. "Oh, hey there Flare. Were you wanting to take this group?"

"No, I don't waste my time with weaklings." He growled, slamming his tail on the ground and making it crack slightly.

"Enough Flare." Another new arrival said. A scizor stepped out of the main hall. "It is commendable that they would even make an attempt. I'll not have you scaring them away." He said, waving a claw at Flare. The scizor was perfect looking, odd for a such an obviously important pokemon. He had no scars or battle wounds of any kind, a huge contrast to the grizzled charizard.

"Fine Hunter. But without me, we won't get the cream of the crop."

"The 'cream of the crop' as you say, will be made apparent during the test. Come, we have work to do elsewhere." He said, turning and starting away. Flare also turned and followed him.

"Ahem! Now, let's get down to business folks." Marowak said in an attempt to regain attention. "The test, is an expedition. We will provide all the supplies you need and you will not be in any real danger. You will all have two days to reach the end of the dungeon. Everyone ready to go? Good. It's about a two hour trek to the site. Everyone stay close and don't fall behind."

After a long and boring hike, the crowd of rookies arrived at a cave entrance.

"This is it. You will all go into the cave, separated by a time gap. Everyone come and get your supply boxes." Crash said. He took off the sack he had been carrying and took out five boxes, each with a ribbon attached.

Each team took one. Phantom nudged the button on theirs and it popped open. Inside were a few fresh apples, some berries, two elixirs, and a yellow ribbon. He explained the use of each to her, except for the ribbon, as there was no way of knowing what it would do without putting it on. They agreed that he would carry the box, wrapping the strap tight around his torso so that it sat on his back. That left the ribbon to Mystic. Like all held items, it had a sticky surface that would latch onto fur so that it would not fall off in the heat of battle and could easily be put on. Taking them off hurt a bit but it wasn't that bad. Once she put it on, there was no noticeable effect.

"You two." Crash said, pointing his bone at them. "You go in first. At the end of the dungeon, you will find proof of your success. Return with that. Also, do not harm any other recruits. Doing so will result in expulsion. There's no benefit to doing it anyway. Your success has no effect on the others."

"Alright! Ready Mystic?" Phantom asked her.

"Let's do this!" She shouted, charging headlong into the mouth of the cave.

He was caught by surprise at her enthusiasm, having to catch up to her.

The pair made it inside, finding themselves in a long dark hallway. A short moment later, a light began to glow from Mystic's neck. The ribbon, it was a light ribbon!

They made it just fine through the first floor, no encounters of any kind. But when they arrived on the second, just after descending the stairs, they found themselves confronted by three rattata. Phantom spotted them and launched the first attack, firing a thunder wave that paralyzed the first one coming out of the hallway at the end of the room. This trapped the other two behind it.

Mystic, still not able to use her ember attack on demand, spent her turn preparing it. Behind the stunned rat pokemon, the two others began to climb over it in an attempt to get in to the room. Phantom shot off a beam of electricity, a charge beam, at the closer one, and then followed up with a second, powered up shot as the other closed in. Mystic began to spit her embers, firing a storm of small fireballs. The wave of fire crashed into the rats, leaving them with burns as they collapsed, including the paralyzed one.

"Why did they attack us?" Mystic asked as they got back on the move.

"Not all pokemon are as civilized as us. Most people call them feral, but they're more tribal than anything. Don't hold back on their part. They would beat us within an inch of our lives given the chance."

As they continued down the path, Mystic began to pant heavily. "Can we take a break? I'm exhausted."

"What? We just started. Besides, we're a lot more vulnerable if we stay in one spot."

"Yeah, but, I ache all over." She whined.

"And I know why. I probably should have told you. If a pokemon uses moves too often, it takes a toll on their body. So you have to wait a few seconds between every move. How about we slow down a bit, will that make you feel better?"

"I guess."

A while later, they still hadn't encountered any other pokemon, even with their reduced pace. They continued on, through narrow hallways, and a few small rooms, until they came upon a large one.

"Hold up." Phantom said, his star shaped tail tip going back towards her to make her not run into him.

"What? See something?" She asked quickly.

"Not yet. But look up there." He said, moving to the side so she could. "Big rooms are the most dangerous. See how far the wall is, and how much space there is that we can see now? That's how to spot them. Be ready for anything." He said before starting forward again. He got to the entrance and peered around the corner. "Looks good, come on." He said. He carefully stepped out into the room, his eyes quickly alternating between the floor, looking for traps, and the distance.

Once again, there were no other pokemon. Phantom didn't know whether to be suspicious or thankful. He spotted the stairwell and they made it without incident.

"I think we're close." Phantom said when they reached the next floor. "See how the room looks less random and more structured? The ends of dungeons often have special rooms."

"How do you know so much anyways?"

"I... uh, I read lots of books." He said shyly.

They passed through the room, to the next. The hallways were becoming shorter. In this room, there was a split in the path. They decided to go to the right side. Halfway down the hall, right as Phantom stepped into the turn, he heard a click.

"Shit!" He yelled, as a heavy net fell onto them. It came too fast to dodge, tying them up. There were weights on the edges, preventing them from lifting it up.

"HAH!" A voice laughed from the darkness. A sneasel dashed towards them and stabbed it claws into the dirt, taking the rope with it and burying it, trapping them further. "Can't believe you dolts fell for that!" Phantom remembered seeing him with the recruits. He was the only solo team.

"What the fuck!?" Mystic yelled at him, fire licking her chops as she prepped an ember.

"Cool down, hothead. Unless you want your partner to burn along with the rope." He said. This made Mystic stop. "Good. If I'm the only one to pass the test, it'll make me look pretty good, don't you think. See ya! And don't even bother trying to tell the staff, you don't have the proof." With a wave, he vanished back into the darkness.

"That fucker!" Mystic yelled. She tried to wriggle free, to budge something somewhere, but nothing worked.

"Can you scoot to the edges? I have a plan." Phantom asked. She did so, and he moved as far into the middle as he could. He then raised his tail up and out of the net. A ball of light formed around the star and a small beam of electricity came out. He swiveled his tail, swinging the beam around the edges of the net. Soon, it began to smolder. The fire was close to Mystic, as she unconsciously tried to move away, even though she would not be harmed by it. Soon, it ate through the net, and Phantom leaped out of the circle of small flames, the now much lighter net trailing behind him. The dragging bits of it caught on fire as well, but Phantom was easily able to get out of it now.

Mystic, however, was still trapped by the fire. "Help!" She begged.

"Just get out..." He said blandly.

"I don't think I can jump over it."

"Just... Just walk out. Just do it. You'll be fine. Fire types won't get hurt by fire. It may be a bit warm but it shouldn't hurt."

She did it, wincing just before touching the flames. She passed through without incident. "Oh. I guess that makes sense. Let's go catch him!"

The pair dashed off down the hallway after the sneasel. They made it to the next room without any signs of their attacker. The room they made it into was a large circle, the walls a deep blue rock with water dripping down the sides. In the center, was a fountain like structure. There was no water flowing, and instead of water in the base, there was something shiny filling it. Phantom cautiously approached it and peered inside while Mystic stayed back.

"Are these...? Awesome!" He suddenly shouted, reaching in a cupping one of the badges in a paw. "These are rescue badges! They are the official symbol of a rescue team. They can even send pokemon to town. Maybe we can use them to leave. Come over here."

Mystic came up to the fountain and Phantom carefully maneuvered the back of the badge onto the puff of hair between her ears, making it attach to it. He went back to the fountain and grabbed one for himself. He managed to affix his to his right foreleg. He pressed his other paw against it for a while, but nothing happened. 

"Huh. I guess it won't work yet. Let's get out of here."

They exited, this time heading to the left path. Down the hall, Phantom stopped suddenly, just as a room came into view.

"What?" She asked, a bit flustered from nearly crashing into him.

He didn't respond, instead walking carefully into the room. "Oh my arceus."

Mystic was trying to see past him, but he was standing completely in the way, preventing her from seeing whatever it was. He stepped into the room, allowing her to go around him. She was stunned at the sight.

In the middle of the room was the sneasel. He was far from okay though. His throat was slit and there was a huge gash in his chest. The floor around him was stained with a puddle of still wet blood.

"What happened?" Mystic asked quietly.

Before Phantom could say anything, a small pebble fell from the ceiling. He looked up, and yelled "RUN!" immediately. Several pairs of glowing eyes were looking back down at him. They dashed forward as some of the pokemon dropped down behind them. They made it into the hallway, but there was a dead end. They were forced to turn around and face the oncoming horde of pokemon. They mostly consisted of kabuto and a large kabutops. Mystic had her back against the wall, while Phantom stood his ground in front of her.

"Let me fight. Your attacks won't do anything to them. Be ready to give me a berry if I get hurt, they heal wounds." Phantom yelled, as he began to fire off charge beams whenever he could. He knocked out a few of the kabuto, but when the kabutops came to the front of the line, it was not taken down so easily, even by the powered up jolts. "That's it!" he yelled. "Surge Rush!" His fur stood on end as sparks began to run through his fur. In a flash of light, he darted forward and hit the kabutops with his charged body. The energy hit it hard, preventing it from attempting to slash at the shinx. He was able to dash back to his original spot as the bright light faded.

However, the kabutops was seemingly unharmed, continuing forward on the pair, with its scythes raised. A rumble suddenly shook through the cave. A jaw shaped claw bust through the wall only a couple of feet in front of Phantom, in between him and the kabutops. Another bust through, and the wall crumbled. Out of the dust, stepped a red a black bug, with a star shape on it forehead: a mega scizor.

He pointed both claws at the kabutops. It charged forward and tried to swing its scythes down at the metal bug. Scizor caught both of them, and snapped them half easily. In a complete blur, he reached out and crushed the ancient pokemon's head. As it fell dead, the rest of its companions retreated, scrambling over each other to get out of the hall.

The scizor lowered his claws and turned to the terrified pair. "Are you both okay?"

"Who are you?" Phantom asked, still trying to protect Mystic, even though she would have the type advantage if he attacked.

"It's Hunter, the chief of the rescue federation. I am so sorry for all this. It's my fault. I didn't clear the cave good enough. Please accept my apologies."

"How did you know where we were?"

"I used a locater orb. Our psychic sensed something was wrong. I already rescued three other teams. Have you seen the lone sneasel?"

"Yes. He... didn't make it." Phantom said.

"I see." He said, covering his eyes for a moment. He took out his badge. "I'll send you back now, I have to finish things up." He said before tapping each of them with it, sending them away.

They were both blinded by the pillar of light that covered them, and after a few moments, they found themselves back at the federation headquarters, standing just in front of the building.

Phantom suddenly slumped to the ground, his legs splaying out in all directions. Mystic rushed over to him, putting a paw on his back.

"Are you okay?!" She worriedly asked.

"That was so _scary_!" He whined loudly.

"I think it was kinda fun."

"We almost died!" He said with exasperation.

"I know. All that adrenaline, and my heart racing... it was exciting."

"If anything, we need to get stronger, so that we won't get into a situation like that again. Anyway, we need to report to someone. I guess the office..." He said. They both headed inside and to the mienshao's office.

Once they arrived, he tapped his paw against the edge of the entrance. "Miss?"

The mienshao looked up. "Yes? Oh, it's you two. Did you receive your badges?"

"Yes. So what now?"

"I fill out most of the technical stuff. All you have to do is show me your badges and tell me your team name."

They both walked closer, displaying their proudly won badges. The mienshao came around the desk and tapped her badge against theirs. A light briefly shone out from the contact.

"Excellent. Your badges are now activated. You can use them to rescue pokemon you find in dungeons, and they will automatically save you if you are injured. Now, for your team name?"

"Mystic? Any ideas?" He asked her.

"Nope... do we have to come up with one now?"

"Yes. I can't proceed with anything without a name." The secretary told them.

"How about Team Memories?" Phantom said.

"Ohh, I like it. Very direct." Mystic chimed in.

"Very well. You are free to go. Tomorrow, your team will be official and you can get to taking contracts. My name is Marie by the way, I handle the business side of things. Now if you head over to the main dorms, you'll be assigned a room."

"Thanks miss."

"Please, you're practically adults now, call me Marie."

They left the room, both pokemon beaming happily. They made for the dorms, their muscles beginning to ache from the days adventure. When they entered the dorms, they found the place mostly abandoned, not surprising due to it being just past afternoon. The issue was that there was no pokemon to ask about a room. A few seconds later, a humming farfetch'd came out of one of the hallways, pushing a cart of cleaning supplies. His eyes were closed as he happily strolled down the hall, approaching a door in the main room.

"Uh, hello?" Phantom said to get his attention.

"Huh? Hi there. What can I do for ya?"

"We just passed the exam, and we were told to come here for a room. Who do we need to walk to about that?"

"That's me. I run this dorm. Let me just put this away then I'll get you set right up." He said. Once he did so, he began up the stairs, motioning for them to follow. "So, I imagine you didn't have any neighbors in the newbie dorms. There are only fifteen rooms in that building, but we almost never have that many people staying there. Here, you will, so try to keep it down and be considerate. You do have much better amenities though, you'll see soon." He said, exiting the stairs and heading out onto the second floor. "You're lucky. We just got a room opening here. The previous team moved away."

They all moved through the curtain and into the room. It was certainly bigger than the previous one, almost three times so. Along with that, there was a barrel filled with berries and apples, a small rock enclosed bath with a button activated tap, a drinking bowl with a similar tap, and much nicer beds, with cloth baskets and blankets spun from mareep wool. They were still on the floor, with no mattress, but for pokemon that wasn't too much of an issue.

"Whoa, nice place. So this room is all ours?" Mystic asked.

"Yep. I make the rounds once a week to clean up, fix anything broken, and resupply your food. Speaking of which, you'll have to pay for your own meals now, and rent, too. Meals are free on the weekends, but otherwise, you'll have to pull your own weight if you wanna eat. If you need anything, ask around for Harrison, that's me." He said, raising the leak that was hidden under one wing. With that, he made a speedy exit, vanishing down the hall in moments.

"So. What now?" Phantom asked.

"Lunch I guess. But first, I feel filthy, so I'm taking a bath." She said, approaching the bath and looking at it. The rocks that made it up were sealed together, preventing any leaking. The bottom had a drain, and a button next to it that closed and opened it. The buttons were purely mechanical, not having any electrical components to prevent water causing problems.

"I can agree with you there. Who's up first?"

"We could probably go at the same time, it looks big enough."

A bright blush ran through his face. "I'd, uh, um, rather not." He stuttered out quickly.

"Seriously? What is your problem? You are always so shy when we're around other people, and that I can understand. But why do you freak out every time we get close? We are friends aren't we?"

"Yeah... but..." He said quietly, looking down and away while padding the ground.

"But what?!" She shouted, clearly becoming angry.

"You're... a girl..." He squeaked.

"So! What does that have to do with anything?" She said, lightly tapping his nose with a paw.

"It's just weird. It doesn't feel right, ya know?"

"No, I don't. You're a boy and I'm okay with that. Just shut up and get in the bath, I'm hungry. The sooner we get cleaned up, the sooner we can eat." She said, turning around and starting the water. There was no way to regulate the temperature, leaving it lukewarm, not too hot, but not too cold. She hopped in and splashed the water up onto herself while it filled up.

Phantom was slowly closing in on the bath, having an intense debate with himself. She did have a point, but he was terrified that he would do something wrong, something that would drive her away. What if he got an erection?! His fear of making her angry by doing nothing overcame his worry and he joined her in the water.

Once in, he kept his side to her, avoiding her gaze. He began to clean off, using his wet paws to brush the dirt from his fur. He dunked the areas he could not reach into the water.

During this process, Mystic was watching him, his attempts at ignoring her preventing him from noticing. She had a plan in mind, and when he began to wash his face, she moved in to enact it. She silently got behind him, and reached out, touching his balls before holding them in her paw.

Phantom yelped and tried to move forward, but the stone wall prevented that quickly. "What are you doing?!" He asking in a blind panic, trying to hide his crotch with his tail, though it was too thin to do much. Her paw fell away quickly and she began to chuckle. "It's not funny!"

"See? It doesn't matter. Nothing changed." She said with a smile.

"I don't feel any better! If anything I feel worse."

She turned around and raised her tails and rear, putting her vulva on full display. Phantom's mouth went dry as he stared for a moment, completely stunned. When he realized she was watching, he averted his gaze. He tried to say something, but his mouth felt like it was full of cotton.

"There, now we have nothing to hide." She said as she lowered her tails and turned around with a big smile plastered on her face. "Are you okay? Your face looks like it might pop..." She asked upon seeing his blush.

"Hah..." He breathed out. "uh, wow."

"It's not that big a deal, sheesh. It's a part of my body like any other." She chastised him as she hopped out of the bath. She shook off, spraying water over the room. "I'm heading to the lunch room. You coming?"

"Y-yea. I'll meet you there in just a sec." He said, still covering his crotch with his forepaws. Behind them, the black tip of his cone shaped member was poking out. He took a few deep breaths until it receded. Then he hopped out, shook off, and hurried after her.

He caught up just as she was entering the lunch room, joining her as they got in line. They made it through to find the meal of the day, mashed apples and berries. The food was contained in a small box with a handle on it, allowing four legged pokemon to easily carry it in their mouths. They carried it out to the tables and sat down to eat.

Mystic dug in, but Phantom wasn't feeling so hungry. He took a few nibbling bites but his stomach wasn't in the best mood. It must have shown, because she asked him "Seriously though, are you gonna make it? I was only trying to make you less shy..."

"I don't know what to say... Most pokemon don't just... do that."

"It's really not a big deal. If you wanna see it again..."

"NO!" He spat out, a little loud for his liking.

"Chill, I was only joking. Anyways, I was thinking we could do some more training." She waited a few moments, seeing that he was basically done eating. "Why don't you save that for later? If you don't want it, I'll eat it."

"Yea. Okay. Let's go then." He said, flipping the lid closed and carrying the box out with him out into the yard.

"So, what was that move you used in the cave? Surge rush?" she asked on the way.

"Oh that. Yea, that's a move I made. Sometimes they're called link moves. How I do it is I use charge, which builds up energy to power up my next move, use charge beam to rush forward and build up more power, and use spark to finish and release all of it. It's really tiring but powerful."

"So anyone can do something like that?"

"Yep. But it takes practice. Let's just say living alone for a while kinda forces you to be strong."

"I'm doing it, tonight." She said, already starting to build up fire.

"That's not really a good idea... We'll be here all night."

"Tonight." She repeated, spitting a small fire ball at the dummy.

"Ember isn't the only move you can use. There are tons more. Some you have to figure out on your own, others you can learn from pokemon, there are even items that teach moves."

Several hours later, the horizon was beginning to become orange. She had become faster, able to use ember without building up fire first. This gave her an idea. She began to build up fire, holding it inside her while it grew in power. To release it, instead of spiting, she blew, letting loose a long stream of fire. It was quite wimpy compared to a normal flamethrower, but certainly stronger than her ember. She was giddy with her success, but her mind continued thinking what she could do with that built up flame.

That led to another question. She held up her paw, looking intensely at it. A small fire began to burn in her fur there, until shaking it away by instinct, even though it didn't do any harm.

Behind her, Phantom was only half paying attention. He had been surprised by her flamethrower, but he quickly fell back into his thoughts. Every once in a while, he looked to her rear, covered by her tails, before he caught himself and looked away again.

"Hey, watch this." She said, snapping his attention back to reality.

All six of her tails lifted up, drawing his gaze to her exposed rear, making him look up to her face. All the tails unfurled and aimed over her back, pointing at the dummy. A small flame lit on the tips of each. The fires grew bigger, until her tails drew back and lobbed the fire balls at the dummy. They merged in the air and formed a massive ball, almost twice her size. It impacted the dummy, engulfing it in flames for a moment as fire splashed out and onto the ground.

She started hopping up and down. "Yeah! Check that out! Woo!" She cheered while doing the four legged equivalent of a dance. "I call it fire blast!"

"Uh..."

"That was badass! How strong do you think that was?!"

"You can't call it that..." He said quietly.

"WHAT!? Why not?"

"Fire blast is already a move. I guess you could call it that if you really want."

"Aww, I thought that was a good name. I'll think of one bu-" Her eyes suddenly drifted closed as she fell to the side.

"Mystic!" he shouted, dashing to her side. He put a paw under her head, lifting it off the ground.

Her eyes opened just a slit. She let out a pained groan. He felt her muscles try to move, but she could not find the strength to lift herself. He lowered his body, using his head to lift her up and onto his back. He wrapped his tail around her in an attempt to secure her, but it was a challenge. She was about his size, though her tails made her look bigger. He stood up on shaky legs, barely able to stand with the increased weight on his back.

"Do you need the nurse?" He asked her, taking a slow step forward. There was no one else in the yard right now to offer help, leaving them alone.

"No... I'm just... really tired... need sleep..."

"Ok, I'll get us there." He said, slowing beginning to move forward, one shaking step at a time. He made it into the dorms, where Harrison sat behind his desk, reading a book.

"Hello, have a good- What happened!? Is she alright?!"

"Yeah, she's just tired." Phantom said while panting from exertion.

"Let me help get you two upstairs." He said, hurrying over and helping to carry Mystic up to their room. Once they arrived he asked, "Are you sure you don't need the nurse? It's fine if you do."

"No, she just trained too hard."

"Alright. If you need to, Nurse Puffles is on call anytime."

"Nurse Puffles?" He asked with a healthy dose of skepticism.

"She is a good nurse, silly name or not." He said, showing himself out.

"Mystic? You still with me?"

"Barely. I... overdid it."

"I think I need to come clean about something. When you... earlier... ya know... I've always been kind of a... pervert. I don't want to think of you like some sexual object but it's really hard after seeing something like that for real... I don't know how I should feel. Are you mad at me or anything?"

"You really are something. I don't really care what helps you get your rocks off, even if it's me. And you're not a pervert. If you were, you would have tried to fuck me when we first met." Her blatant explanation made him start blushing again. "How could I be mad at you? It was me who showed my bits to you. You're really a good person, kinks or no. Maybe when we get my memory back, I'll have to give my hero a reward~"

He let out a yelp and blushed even deeper at the thought. He tried to think up some way to retort, but that was not needed, as she had already passed out. He laid down on his bed, curling up under the blanket. While he was attempting to fall asleep, he heard a loud noise that he hadn't during the drama earlier. He recognized it as an air conditioner, something that only the best could afford. One that took care of this entire building would have been exceptionally expensive. Soon enough, he forced his mind to calm, allowing him to fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 4

Mystic was the first to awake that next morning. Her grumbling stomach was the first thing she felt. She looked around a bit, trying to spot something but it was nowhere to be seen. She got up, a little sore and stiff, but not in pain. With a few nudges, she woke up Phantom.

"Hey, where is that food?" she asked.

"Huh? What food? There's berries over there."

"No, remember lunch yesterday? What did you do with your leftovers?"

He lifted a paw to his face, rubbing at his eyes. "I didn't bring it back. Things were kinda hectic."

"Ughh, I wanted that." She whined.

"It probably would have gone bad..." He muttered while getting up. He arched his back in a long stretch. "Let's get ready, we've got work to do today."

"Like what?" She asked while nosing through the food barrel.

"Jobs. We need to make some money first of all, then we'll get some practice in doing it." He turned on the water for a moment, got his paws wet and washed his face. He turned to her and had to hold in his laughter.

"What?" She asked, tilting her head. Her mouth was covered in blue juice from the berries.

"You made quite a mess." He said, pointing at his mouth.

She rubbed a paw over her maw, wiping off some of the juice. "You wanna lick it off~?" She teased.

"N-no!" He stuttered a bit.

She started to giggle. "I'm gonna have so much fun with that. You say you're a perv, but you're so shy."

"Whatever, let's head out."

They went out of the building, into the main hall, and into the left wing.

"You." Someone said right as they entered. They looked over to find Hunter, holding a box shaped bag in his claws. "In that mess yesterday, we forgot to give you your own supply box." He handed it to them, allowing Phantom to put the strap around his body. "Have a good day." He said, leaving them.

The pair went up to the job board and looked around. The jobs were printed on paper, with further instructions in an envelope attached to it. The instructions said they were ranked by difficulty, and they took the job off, and then once completed they turned it in to the desk on the other side of the room. Looking over the jobs, Phantom took one from the one star jobs. "Find an item in Ripe Woods" It read.

Phantom tore the envelope with his teeth and read the letter inside. "I lost my precious golden ribbon in Ripe Woods when I went to pick some apples. My mother gave it to me, please go find it! Signed, Butterfree."

"Sound good?" He asked Mystic.

"Yep, let's do it."

"So what do you know about this Ripe Woods place?" Mystic asked after they left town.

"It's not too far from here, probably about an hour long walk."

"An hour?! That's forever! Why can't we just warp there with our badges?" She said, stopping movement.

He turned back to face her. "Well, we can later. Higher ranked teams can warp straight to dungeons. It depends on our rank which ones."

"Sounds like this rank really matters." She began to walk again, with him taking his place beside her.

"Yeah, it does. Pretty much everything comes down to rank. We rank up by doing jobs, so if we do our best we can get all the cool stuff. Anyways, the forest is home to tons of grass and bug types, so your fire attacks will be strong."

"Sweet!" She said, baring her fangs in a wicked grin. "So I was wondering something, why does everyone call these places mystery dungeons? They don't seem all that mysterious."

"They change every day. The layout and everything is different every single time we go exploring."

"How the hell does that work? The ground can't just move around!"

"I actually don't know. But it is true. The rumor is that some mysterious power causes it."

"Okay then... We got a long walk ahead of us, so why don't you tell me more about yourself. I hardly know anything about you after all."

"Alright. I was born in a town pretty far away from here. My mother was a luxray and my father was an arcanine. I had two younger brothers and an older sister."

"I want more details than that. We have plenty of time. I'll even promise to tell you my story when I get my memory back."

"Uh, my mom was really nice. She always found time to play with my siblings and I. I miss her. My father on the other hand, he was almost never there. I only remember seeing him once before he left my mom."

"What a scumbag!"

"My mom didn't seem to think so. Even after he abandoned us, she still talked praise about him. My brothers were twins. As you would assume, they were really similar, both hyperactive and annoying. My sister was just as bad in a different way. She liked to torture me to no end. Despite all that, I miss them too."

"So why leave?"

"That's... harder to explain. Wanderlust I guess. I always loved the idea of rescue teams, they seemed so cool. But once I got to Journey Town, I just kinda gave up on that. I was too ashamed to go back home like that, so I moved into that cave. Back to my family, I don't look like them. My brothers and I were both pretty special. Most pokemon aren't born as twins. Eggs always contain one pokemon and normally there's only one egg per pregnancy. I was special because of my fur. Most shinx are light blue."

"Why are you colored different?"

"I don't know. I'm the only shinx I've ever seen like this. Pokemon used to be shamed for being different, but not anymore. What abou-... sorry. I forgot for a second."

"Yeah..."

"It's weird. You act like any other pokemon."

"I've been thinking about it. What if when I get my memory back, I forget everything that happened since? What if I just completely forget about you? And what if I'm a completely different person?"

"I don't know... But I don't think you forgot everything."

"But I don't remember anything..."

"You do though. You can speak, for one. Pokemon don't just hatch talking, they have to learn."

"I never thought about that. Maybe what I have is more like amnesia. But if I have something wrong, like I can't form any memories, why can I remember the last few days and nothing else." Her tails flicked in frustration.

"I find it best not to think about stuff like that. It only complicates things. I just try to live one day at a time."

"Good advice, but I can't help but worry. What if we can't get my memory back?"

"Stop. We can do it. The legendary pokemon have to be able to help. They are more powerful than we can imagine."

She looked away and did not respond. They spent the rest of the walk in silence. A while later, they came upon a large forest. The foliage was so thick, that it essentially created a wall around it. The only entrance in sight was on the path they had been walking.

"Okay, here we are. Ready?"

"Uh-huh, let's do this. What about that box we got?"

"Oh yeah..." He said, setting it down and popping it open. Both pokemon let out a disappointed noise. The inside was empty.

"Aww, I was hoping for some food."

"Don't worry about that. Food is usually found in dungeons." He closed the box, strapped it back on, gave her a nod, and they headed forward.

RIPE WOODS F1

They found themselves in a large room right from the start. There were a few wild pokemon, small bug types, that fled the moment they were spotted. Phantom led them, walking over to one of the halls. Along the way, he almost tripped.

"You okay?" She asked with a snicker.

"I'm fine. It's a stick, could be useful." He said, putting it into the box.

"A stick? You really just put a stick into our important items box?"

"You'll see."

They continued on, going down a hallway. Phantom stopped short along the way. "See that?" He said, pointing to the metapod lying in the middle of the path.

"It doesn't look too threatening..."

"It's not, but they can be annoying. They harden and become really hard to kill and he's sitting in the way so we need to get him quick. So here's the plan, I'll lead, and when we get close, you use ember. When you do, call it out so I can step aside."

She nodded and they began to close in. Phantom stepped forward carefully and quietly. The metapod eventually rolled over and looked right at them. It's eyes immediately squinted and a shine ran over its body.

"Ember!" Mystic shouted from behind him. He moved to the side, fur hitting the wall of foliage, and a ball of fire shot past him and hit the metapod. It rolled around in a panic, then rolled off into the woods.

"Nice." He commented.

Proceeding on, they passed through another room and a hall, until they came into a small room. In the center of the clearing was an apple tree. There were some fallen apples around, but most were rotten or smashed.

"Yea, food!" Mystic shouted, dashing past him to pick through the apples on the ground.

"Don't bother with those. I got this." He said, reeling back and charging forward to smash his body into the tree.

She winced at the sight. "Doesn't that hurt?"

"Not if it's a move. My spark attack is perfect for this, because it doesn't hit hard enough for recoil. And the wood doesn't get damaged by the electricity." He repeated the attack, making the tree shake, until three fresh apples fell to the ground.

"Snack break time." She sat next to one apple and began to munch on it. Phantom grabbed one of the apples, put it in the box, and began to eat the remaining one. She was fully relaxed, but he remained alert in case anyone tried to sneak up on them. Every once in a while, a noise, a stick snapping, leaves shaking, caught his attention but nothing tried to come too close. She finished first and began to happily lick her lips. "That was good." She murred. "Ready to head out?"

He took a final bite, leaving only the core behind, and hopped up with a nod. "Let's go." She took her place behind him and they ventured on. "Ah, we got lucky. Here's the stairs."

"Wait, how are there stairs in a forest?"

"They aren't really stairs, more like a tunnel to the next section."

RIPE WOODS F2

Phantom poked his head out of the hole in the ground and scanned the room. Once he saw that it was clear, he stepped out, followed by Mystic. He led the way over to a bush that he spotted. "Look here, it's a berry tree." He got closer to the small tree and nudged through the leaves. "Some oran berries. If you eat it, you'll heal some wounds."

"Oran? Those blue ones we eat all the time?"

"Yep, berries have all sorts of effects." He stuck his head into the bush-like tree and bit down on the stem to break it. The few berries he found fell to the ground. He then scooped them up with a cupped paw and stowed them away for later. Inside the box, he noticed something. There were several compartments, but only three were marked. They had numbers on the bottom, 1, 2, and 3. He had to think for a moment, before he realized. "So that's how it works... You can set items in these boxes and they will be used automatically when needed. I'll put these oran berries in there."

With a safety net in place, they continued on feeling safer. They had still not encountered any real threats, but both believed that was a lucky coincidence. They made it to the next room and found the stairs.

RIPE WOODS F3

As they walked through the dark dirt tunnel, Phantom's ears perked up.

"Did you hear that?!" He shouted and started to dash forward.

"What!?" Mystic shouted after and hurried to catch up.

"I heard a yell, someone's hurt!" He dove out of the hole and out of her sight.

She popped her head out after him, stopping to catch her breath. "How do you know it isn't a trap?"

He stopped at the edge of the room to wait for her. "I don't but we can't risk ignoring them!"

They sprinted down the hall and into a large room. In the middle of the floor were two things: a caterpie and a shiny gold ribbon. Around those were four angry beedrill. The moment the pair entered the room, all the bugs turned to face them, their stinger's raised in rage.

Before either could react, all the beedrill charged, using their wings to speed toward them. They made it halfway across the room before a beam of electricity hit one. A fireball hit another, causing it to crash to the ground, embers smoldering around it.

"Mystic, use that one move!" Phantom shouted, taking a step forward. "I'll give you time!"

She nodded, though he couldn't see it, as he was glaring down the beedrill. All six tails rose and pointed towards the swarm of bees while tiny specks of flame began to form on them. With the beedrill so close, he jumped and tackled one with a spark attack. All three remaining beedrill began to furiously attack him, stabbing with their stinger like hands. He was able to dodge one, but the other two pairs dug into him, causing spurts of blood to shoot from his body. Just as quickly, the oran berry vanished from inside the box and appeared in his mouth, allowing him to quickly chew and swallow. Once the berry juice hit his mouth, his wounds began to close. It didn't dry the blood though.

"Flash Burn!" Mystic shouted. He took the cue and darted forward, his small size allowing him to avoid some of the strikes but two more twineedles hit him, one stabbing at each side of his body. He tackled one in the face, and used it as leverage to leap over and past the beedrill. A moment later, a large ball of fire hit where he just was, scattering embers over the three bug types. They all writhed as their bodies were engulfed in flames, as they collapsed one by one.

He took a step towards them, ready to finish any survivors off, but none stayed up. He winced as his right leg gave out and he fell into the dirt.

"Phantom!" She shouted, hurrying past the burning beedrill and to his side. "Are you okay?!" She asked in a panic, staring at his bloodied fur.

"Yeah," He said through clenched teeth. "The poison, I can't feel my legs. Just go rescue the caterpie, I'll be fine, the beedrill are all dead."

She bit her lip, not sure if she could trust him on this. She decided to take a chance, and hurried over, the lone dead bee, to the caterpie and the ribbon. "What about you? Are you gonna make it?"

It looked up with wet eyes. Mystic wasn't that big, but compared to her, the bug type was tiny. "Are you here to save me?" It cried out. "My mommy told me not to go! I should have listened!" Tears began to stream down its face and it curled around itself.

"Shh, shh, we're gonna get you home. Is that your mom's ribbon?"

"y-y-yes, yes."

Mystic nodded, knelt down, and tapped the badge on her ear to him. Both the caterpie and the ribbon vanished in a pillar of light. She then turned and hurried back to Phantom. His eyes were closed, but he was still breathing. She spared one more glimpse to the charred corpses of the beedrill, before she tapped him and they both returned home.

JOURNEY TOWN

They both appeared in front of the federation headquarters, with caterpie right next to them. He was still curled around the golden ribbon.

Mystic started forward, but stopped. "Little guy, could you please watch me friend here, I need to go get some help."

He gave her a shaky nod. With that, she rushed off, down the left wing, and into the nurse's room. She was met with a large blissey.

"Hello there, what seems to be the problem?"

"My friend is poisoned, he needs help!" She said urgently.

"Take me to him. Puffles is on the case!" She said, her wings flapping. The rotund pokemon followed the fox back outside and to the shinx's side. Puffles picked him up and carried him off quickly, leaving Mystic with the caterpie.

"How about you come with me? We can get you back home."

He sniffled a bit, before getting up and following her inside. They went to the main office.

"Ms Marie? I have a job to turn in. How do I do that?"

"You just give me the contract and the requested subject."

"I'll have to go get the letter. Can you look after him?" She said, tilting her head to the caterpie.

"Sure." The mienshao said with a patient smile.

Mystic hurried out, walking at a greatly increased pace back to the nurse.

"Ahh," Nurse Puffles said upon seeing her, "Your friend is going to be just fine. Just a minor case of poisoning and a few wounds. He should be good to go in a few minutes."

Mystic went over to the bed where he was laid.

"Told you I'd be fine." He said with a smirk.

She bopped him on the nose. "You worried me sick!"

He rubbed a paw over his face. "So did you turn in the job?"

"No, we need the letter."

He stretched out and stiffly got to his feet. "Let's go then."

They had to go slow, as his body was still sore, but it wasn't very far. Once there, they gave the letter to Marie.

"Hmm, it doesn't say anything about a caterpie, so who is this?" She asked, lightly patting his head.

"We found him with the ribbon. He was surrounded by beedrill..."

The caterpie spoke up now. "My mommy lost her ribbon and I went to go get it back, but..."

"It's okay, young one." Marie said, rubbing his head gently. "You're safe, that's all that matters. We'll get your mom here and I'm sure she'll be happy to see her ribbon." The caterpie's eyes lit up at this. "As for you two, your job is done. And you did excellently. In light of your success in such a situation, you are now ranked Bronze, up from Rookie."

"Do we get any more badge features yet?" Phantom asked.

"Not until gold rank. Keep performing well and you'll get there in no time."

They both said their thank you's, and received one from the caterpie, before heading back to their room. The sun was already setting and they were both exhausted, too tired to even go to the cafeteria. They decided to settle for apples in bed.

A short time later, they were back home and were munching on apples.

"So... did I really kill those beedrill?" Mystic asked quietly.

"Yes, but it was them or us. Don't feel too bad."

"I don't feel bad exactly, it's just... weird, you know?"

"Yeah... I need a bath." He said, rubbing his paws over his blood crusted fur. He climbed up and hopped into the tub. He shied away from the filling water until it warmed enough to be comfortable. He was so busy testing the temperature that he did not notice Mystic sneaking up behind him. He didn't freak out as much as before when she put her paws on his back.

"What?" He asked.

"Lay down, I'll clean your fur."

A blush crept over his face, but he did so. She leaned on him, forcing him belly down into the shallow water. She nearly straddled him while rubbing her paws roughly over his back. She worked out the stains and made sure he was not hurt. It was surprising to her that there were no wounds or scars at all.

"You got really... how do you not have any wounds after... that?"

"Berries and moves. If they get treated fast enough, most pokemon never have lasting scars." He began to relax at the gentle massage. She gave his fur a few gentle licks to straighten it out before she stepped away.

Phantom stayed there for a moment, his eyes closed while he soaked in the warm water. When he opened his eyes, he was face to face with Mystic, her nose only inches from his.

"You were really brave..." She said quietly, before leaning in and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Thanks for that." She drew back to see him with a bright blush.

"Do... um... uh..."

She smiled at his nervous stutter. Climbing out of the tub and shaking off her fur, she trotted over to her bed and laid down with her tails spread out over the floor in a large fan shape.

"Do you," his voice become quiet, nearly inaudible over the sound of the buildings machines, "love me?" He winced as soon as the words left his mouth, afraid of what she might say.

"I wouldn't say love. It's more complicated than that. I certainly care for you..."

He opened his eyes again. He got out the bath and sat down on his side of the room.

"If you wanted to take it farther, I wouldn't be against the idea."

He yelped and covered his head with his paws. "No, no... I didn't mean that. The way your acting... it just seemed like you wanted..."

"I told you, my body is nothing to be ashamed off. A kiss is a sign of great care, so I gave you one."

"That makes sense... but it doesn't make it any less embarrassing..." He got up and pressed the light button then laid back down by moonlight.


	5. Chapter 5 (X)

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 5

Rest that night was troubled for both parties. They both kept shifting and stirring as the room was hot. Mystic awoke first that morning, with an itchy feeling located between her legs. She ran a paw down her belly, and had to hold in a gasp. Her pussy was sensitive, and quite wet. She wanted to rub and relieve the itch, but Phantom was just on the other side of the room. Instead she got up and turned on the water before hopping in. From where she was sitting, she could see around the curtain that shaded the window, seeing that it was early in the morning. She just sat in the water, her tails idly flowing through it, to avoid splashing and waking him. Then she spotted it.

It blended well with the black lower half of his body, and was even harder to see, as it didn't seem to be at full size. Poking out from the sheath nestled between his legs, was a black cock. She couldn't help but stare. She almost wanted to go over and... help him out. But no. She shook her head to break the thought. That might traumatize him. It was difficult to make out fine details from this distance, but she could tell it wasn't the traditional feline one, instead a cone shape, with no discernible head. The longer she looked at it, the more her need grew. She tore her gaze away when he twitched, but all he did was roll over.

He rolled onto his belly, removing most of the temptation from her mind. She shook her head in an attempt to drive the image from her mind, but it didn't work. She settled for looking out the window until her body calmed down. While she did this, Phantom woke up.

"Good morning." He greeted her. She looked back at him just in time to see his nose twitch. He opened his mouth to ask about the smell, but stopped when he realized what it was. The usual blush appeared, though this time she blushed too. She had never been trying to hide her feelings, but now... she didn't want it to happen like this.

"Yeah. Ready to get to work?"

"Maybe after breakfast." He said awkwardly. Neither of them were looking at each other. He cleared his throat. "I'll uh, head to the dining room. See you there."

She tried to say 'yeah' but her mouth was dry. Before she could do anything other than let out a noise, he was gone. She took a few deep breaths. She felt bad now. She had acted like a total slut. While she did believe what she said about her body, the way she flaunted it was too much. She did like him, more than she was willing to admit, but it had to be romantic, not some lust fueled romp. By now she had cooled off, so she got out of the water and headed out to catch up with him.

By the time she made it, he was already seated and eating. She barely gave him a glance as she went into the meal line. She met Dumpling and looked over the options for today. There were the usual apples, berries, some poke puffs for desert. The menu seemed to be much more varied during the week. She went for the glazed fish.

Dumpling put it into the carrying box, designed for quadruped pokemon. It was a round bowl like shape, with a lid and handle able to be carried in the mouth. She went to leave out the other end but another pokemon stopped her.

"You gonna pay for that?" The wartortle asked.

"I thought we didn't have to pay..."

"Only on the weekends. If you want food any other time, you gotta work. C'mere." He said, motioning with a paw. He raised the device held in the other one and pointed it at her badge. It beeped and he waved her on.

She left the kitchen and went over to the short table where Phantom was. "Hey."

"Hi..." He said, looking down at his food awkwardly.

"So uh... what was that thing the wartortle did?"

"Our money is stored by the guild and we can scan our badges to pay for things, without having the money on hand." He explained while idly picking at his food.

"Neat." She mumbled. Seeing him like this really made her feel bad. While it was fun to tease him and see him act shy, this was all together different. "Listen, I'm sorry. For everything."

He looked up at her and forced a smile. "Don't be. It's... um, nevermind, I'll tell you later."

They both ate without speaking, then went to the bounty board.

"Why don't you find a job today?" Phantom offered.

She looked around, until she spotted one on the lower half of the board. "Missing person. Sounds interesting. How about it?"

He nodded, allowing her to pick it off and read it.

"My friend has vanished. Please help find her. Signed Hearth."

They followed the directions included in the letter to a house in town. They knocked ont he door and were greeted by a typhlosion.

"Hello. What can I do for you?" He asked in a deep but kind voice.

"We're here for the job you posted. Something about a missing person?" Phantom said.

"Ahh, that." He brought a paw up to his chin, rubbing it as he sized up the pair of smaller pokemon. "Yes, she's an... eevee. I haven't seen her for... almost three, or maybe four days now. I have no idea why she would have left, but she wasn't from around here, so she might act a bit off. I'd ask around town, I doubt she'd go into any dungeons."

"Alright, thanks. We'll find her so don't worry." Mystic said.

They both left and headed for the market place. They spent a couple of hours asking random people and shop owners if they had seen any strange eevee, but to no avail. No one had seen a single eevee in the last three days, much less an odd one.

"Ugh. Nothing at all." Phantom complained.

"Yea, how has no body seen her?" She fluttered her tails angrily. "Oh, over there!" She shouted, dashing off. Phantom hurried after and found her standing in front of Hearth. "Hey, we having found any info about her. Any ideas?"

"Yes actually. I had an idea. She mentioned a place she always wanted to go to. Have a map? I'll mark it for you. I would go search but I'm a real softy." He said, bashfully rubbing the back of his head. "Never been one for fightin'. Would you be willing to go out there for me?"

"Of course!" Mystic said proudly. "We're a rescue team after all."

Phantom approached and offered his map from the box. Hearth pointed at it, a place called Spook Tower.

"She always wanted to go there and visit the grave of her grandmother. If she isn't in town, that's the only other place I could think she'd go. Thanks again for doing this."

"It's no big deal." She said. Both of them departed, but Phantom stopped her before they left town.

"Hey, we should go to the market. Maybe we could buy some useful stuff."

"Sounds good." They changed course, and made a beeline for the market.

The shopping distract was crowded as usual, filled with a wide variety of pokemon. Phantom looked around, leading the way to a stall with a "general store" sign. It was manned by two pokemon, a magmar and an electabuzz.

"What can I do for you folks?" The magmar said.

"No, what can _I_ do for you?" The electabuzz said. They shot each other angry looks.

"We need some supplies." Phantom said, interrupting their feud. "Berries for sure."

"That's my department." The electabuzz said boastingly.

Phantom hopped and put his forepaws on the stand and looked over the selection. He pointed out a pair. "Are those kasib berries?"

"Yup. Fresh this morning." Electabuzz said.

"Kasib?" Mystic asked.

"They reduce damage from ghost type moves." Phantom explained.

"G-g-ghost?!" Mystic asked fearfully.

Phantom didn't pay her much mind. "I'll take two of those."

Electabuzz rung up his purchase. But when he told them how much poke they had left, Phantom's mouth dropped.

"5000 poke! How do we have that much money?!"

"Butterfree must have paid a lot for that job." Mystic offered.

"In that case, have any TMs?"

"I've got you covered." The magmar said loudly. Phantom stepped over to his side, and he opened a large case, filled with TMs.

"Hmm, can I get thunderbolt and flamethrower."

Magmar skimmed through the pages, pulling out the two disks. "That comes out to about 3000 poke."

Phantom offered the badge affixed to the back of his head. Once they paid, they head back on the path out of town.

"What are those TM things?" She asked on the way.

"They're like... uh, well they teach you moves that you either don't learn naturally or wouldn't until you get stronger. I don't know exactly how they work, but they do. We should probably use them now." He took both disks out of the box and set them down. He pressed his paw against the thunderbolt one. There was an audible click and a dull flash. "Your turn."

Mystic repeated the process with flamethrower and the same thing happened. "I don't feel anything different."

"You'll know how to use it when you need to. We're not really in a good place to practice, so let's hit the road."

The pair set up camp later that night. They had made plenty of progress, but they had still not arrived at Spook Tower.

Phantom gathered up kindling for a fire, and Mystic gathered fresh leaves and grass for bedding. She lit the fire, and they both settled in for the night, having a dinner of apples from a nearby tree.

"So you mentioned ghosts?" Mystic asked between bites.

"Yea, ghost types."

"But ghosts aren't real!" She yelled, fear entering her voice.

"They're not dead pokemon, just pokemon that resemble ghosts."

"That's not that comforting. Ghosts are still scary..."

The conversation died down for several mintues until she spoke again. 

"Again, I'm sorry for acting so slutty. It was kinda cute to see you so flustered, but..."

"It's okay. I think I know the reason. You're probably in heat."

"Heat... I don't think so. From what I know, I'm definitely not."

"But then why was your... scent all over the room this morning."

"I just had a wet dream is all."

"Oh..." He said meekly.

A loud howl echoed through the night, coming from the forest they were camped at the edge of. Mystic fur stood on end. "Can I uh... nevermind..."

"What?"

"I'm scared..." She said, almost too quiet for him to hear.

"It's alright." He said, getting up and lying next to her. "Like you said, nothing wrong with our bodies." Despite his words, he was looking away and blushing furiously. She smiled and indulged his shyness, rolling onto her side facing away. It made her feel a lot better. But the gesture did not resolve her fears, instead distracting her. To think that he would be willing to do this, after how she had acted.

The night, and following morning, proceeded without incident. They set out shortly after waking, as the tower was only a few hours away.

They made it, stopping just outside the entrance. Spook tower was a massive burial site, and as such, ghost types flocked to the area. There were no windows on the entire structure, and it was affected by the power of mystery dungeons, causing the layout to change daily. Just before they entered, Mystic spotted something.

"Over there, in the grass." She said, going over to find a small pink book. On the front of it was 'my diary'. "Maybe the eevee left it here." She flipped it open and looked at the pages.

"Diary of Home the Eevee. KEEP OUT!" she flipped through until she found the most recent page. "I found the place, and from my studies, my grammy should be buried in the cemetery off to the side. Thankfully I don't have to go through the main tower."

Mystic led the way around the side and to the iron fence that blocked the cemetery. Once at the gate, they ran into a problem: it was locked.

"You can take care of this. Your new flamethrower should melt it right off."

She looked over at him before turning back. She closed her eyes and the method for using the move came to mind immediately. She drew in a deep breath, built up flame, raised the temperature, and blew, spraying a steady stream of fire into the lock. The metal lit up, and soon began to drip down onto the dirt. There was thankfully no grass, as it could have started a fire. Once the lock was gone, the gate was opened by gravity with a rusty creak. If it wasn't noon, it would have been creepy.

They proceeded in, Phantom being very careful not to touch the still glowing red bars. Once in they walked through the rows, until they both spotted something. In front of a tombstone, was a large hole. Unlike a hole that would be used for a burial, it was dirt stairs, leading down into the earth. On the third step down was a pink bow.

"She must have gone down here." Phantom said, leading the way down. They went down a great number of steps, the dirt turning to stone, and the sunlight fading away. "This is weird. This shouldn't be here."

After a long descent, far too long for a cemetery, they made it to the bottom, finding themselves in a large room. There was only one path to follow, straight forward. They did so, and quickly found themselves in another room. Once they were both in though, a click sounded out below Phantom's feet. Behind them, a rock slab suddenly slammed down, blocking the way back out.

"Damn!" He shouted. "Only one way to go now. Hope there's an exit..." He took another step forward, and heard another click. "Aw come on!" This trap shot out a plume of pink smoke up into his face, and it quickly filled the room. He tried to hold his breath, but with the way out shut, the gas was sealed in. When he was unable to resist, he breathed in. The gas did not seem harmful, and didn't even have a smell. Once it entered his body though, it started to take effect. His eyes drooped half open and his mind went blank, almost like he lost consciousness.

Mystic on the other hand, was doing much better. She blew out small bursts of fire as the gas flowed towards her, burning it out of the air, and blowing the rest away from her. Thanks to her efforts, she was largely unaffected. The thick smog of pink began to flow further down the hall and deeper into the passage, and away from them. "Phew, what was that?" She asked once he became visible again. She received no response, he did not even twitch. "You okay? Did the gas do something to you?"

Still nothing. She stepped forward and waved a paw before his eyes, without him blinking. "Phantom, you're scaring me. Please say something." He didn't say anything. Her nose twitched a new smell filling the small room. It was salty and a bit sweaty, the scent of male musk. She pushed against his side with a paw in an attempt to make him react, but all he did was fall over.

Once he was down, she saw it. His jet black penis was fully unsheathed and dribbling pre. There was already a tiny puddle forming. She gasped, blushed and looked away. Then she realized, it wasn't sleeping or paralyzing gas, it was an aphrodisiac. "You should be fine..." She said, hoping he would hear. "I'm going on ahead. I can burn the gas, so don't worry." She turned and began to head for the hallway, blowing a puff of fire towards the gas that was still there. She stopped dead in her tracks once she heard a growl. She lowered her stance, ready to fight whatever was coming towards them, but then she heard the sound again. It was behind her! Before she could move, she was pounced, being pinned under the unseen attacker.

She wriggled about in an attempt to escape, but his dark blue forepaws wrapped around her shoulders. The gold band in the fur gave it away. "Phantom? What are you doing?" She asked, her struggles decreasing greatly. "Get off!" She yelped when something hard and hot poked her rear, something that left a drop of liquid on her fur. "What the hell! Fucking stop!" She screamed, her voice echoing through the stone walls on the room. She shot out a puff of smoke at his paw as a warning, but his teeth latched onto her neck, ceasing any further resistance. "Please don't." She whined.

He did, however. He drew back his hips, thrust forward lightly a few times, jabbing and spreading pre over her rear, before he scored a hit and his cock hilted in her. He howled out in pleasure, and started panting into her ear as he readied himself. Though his fangs were gone, she could feel his claws pressing into her fur, a cold reminder of his dominance. She clenched her teeth a bit back a scream for fear of what he might do. Tears quickly began to wet her face as her virginity was taken.

He didn't give her any time to get used to him, starting to violently hump her only a few seconds later. His conical penis drilled into her tight pussy, forcing her apart to get its smooth surface as deep as possible, which was her cervix. With every pounding thrust, he hit that barrier, his tip spitting pre into it. *No, no, no...* she thought. *He's really going to... go all the way.* Her fears were assured when she felt something big tapping against her lips. *Is that a knot?! No way! He's a feline!* He began pounding even harder, trying with all his might to get it in. She was sure now, he had a knot. She started whining pitifully, pain far outpacing any pleasure she might feel. His knot was huge, easily twice as thick as his member, and it almost tied her with every thrust.

"Please don't! I'm begging you! Phantom, hear me! You have to hear me!" She cried out. The only response she got was another growl. He leaned more into her, pulling her into his thrusting and holding her in place with his fangs. She felt the object of her fear pushing and squeezing, until it popped in. He let out a groan into her ear, and cum began to leave his nuts and enter her womb. She felt the seed blast into the top of her reproductive system and felt its pooling warmth in her belly. If his guess was right, and she was in heat, she would definitely be impregnated.

Her head fell to the ground in defeat. "Not like this, not like this..." She kept repeating. Her tears had wet the ground enough that she got mud in her fur. Then she saw it through blurry eyes. The pink cloud of lust gas was coming back down the hall. She tried to raise her head, but he was lying on top of her with all his weight. She settled for curling her muzzle up and beginning a flamethrower. Phantom saw this and gave a tug on his knot and bit down on her neck harder. She yelped in pain, coughing up some smoke from the failed attack. By now, the gas was in the room, filling it quickly. She had no choice but to breathe it in. She made an attempt to hold out, but failed and quickly fell under the effects.

With a burst of strength, she tore her hips away, ripping his knot out, though she hardly felt it, and escaping his clenching fangs. She spun around and faced him as his haunches raised in preparation for an attack. Her expression was not one of rage however, it was one of hunger and lust. "Come get me, big boy~" She teased. Her mind screamed out, fighting its hardest to regain control, but was unable. Against her will, she rolled over onto her back, showing off her cum leaking slit. A paw went down to rub at her lips as she looked right into his eyes. "Fuck me. Fuck me again and again and again." She begged, her tails waving her scent towards him.

He gave her a stare, filled with pure carnal lust, before bounding forward and onto her. They got into a very similar mating stance, though she was belly up and much more willing. Her hips raised up to allow him to thrust better, and he got it in on the first shot. Her passage had tightened back up significantly, almost like the previous mating hadn't happened, except for the cum in her already. His knot was still swelled, too much to allow it to enter again. And so it was that they settled in to a rapid pace, both thrusting at the other as hard as they could. Mystic was staring at their union, licking her lips as the jet black flesh, glistening with their combined juices, moved swiftly in and out. Her lips clung to it, trying to hold it in as her depths clenched at him with need.

He was rutting her at a furious pace, his knot slamming into her, slapping her clit in the process. This time, there was nothing but pleasure, but her thoughts were quickly fading away, leaving only a horny shell. Soon, too soon for her liking, he came again. But that did not stop him. Their sex continued until his knot shrunk and inflated, tying her once again. Over the course, they had both climaxed several more times, seemingly without tiring. It was only once she was knotted again that he stopped, but he did not cum. "Come on! Please! Give me your cubs!"

He let out a grunt, shimmying his feet.

"Yes! Make me your mate! Give me an egg! I need it! I need your seed!" She whined, gyrating her hips on him.

He let out a roar as he started thrusting again. His pounds were much shorter but even faster, his hips a blur. She began to cry again, but not from pain, but sheer pleasure. Then, the dam broke, and a fresh wave of cum filled her womb. By now, there was so much inside her that her belly was visibly swollen, and his knot was keeping it all in. She smiled and rubbed across her stomach with a paw, sometimes dipping down to squeeze her vulva against his knot. She was sure she was pregnant now. But that didn't mean they were done, not by a long shot. "When your knot deflates, I'm gonna suck you dry~"

It was too late though. He was already unconscious. As horny as she still was, she closed her eyes and joined him, sure that more would come when she woke.

"In here?" One machop asked the other.

"Yep. Put your mask now though. No telling how much is still in there."

The third machop stepped forward and crushed the stone wall with a punch. It crumbled, showing the room, as a wave of pink gas flowed out past them and into the open air. Their thick wool mouth covers prevented them breathing any. Inside the room, surrounded by large puddle of cum, were two pokemon, a shinx and a vulpix. The vulpix was lying on the shinx's chest, her fur stained with the same seed that covered the floor.

"Here they are. Dump the shinx and secure the vulpix. We gotta get moving fast."

They stepped forward, but stopped in their tracks when Phantom's eyes shot open. He moved Mystic off of them and got to his feet. He gave the machop an intimidating glare.

"Beat it chump. We got a date with that little lady."

Phantom leapt forward quickly, his jaws clamping around the lead machop's neck and crushing it. The copper taste of blood quickly filled his mouth, before he tossed the wheezing fighting type aside. Only one thought was running through his head: protect his bitch. He then rapidly shot twin bolts of lightning at the other two, leaving them writhing in electric agony. With all three dead, he took a few deep breaths, planning on fucking the vulpix again when he caught his breath. The fresh air that was rapidly flowing into the cave entered his lungs, allowing him to return to his usual self.

"What the... Where..." He muttered to himself while rubbing his head with a paw. There was a great pain there, and in his loins. He looked over to Mystic and gasped. There was no doubt about what had happened to her, but who had done it? They had to get out of here, now. He walked over and tapped her with his badge, but nothing happened. "Damn, we're not in a dungeon!" He shouted. He quickly took hold of her neck as gently as possible and began dragging her out. He managed to get outside, seeing that it was late in the day. He propped her against a tombstone, and managed to get her on his back. It was heavy, as she was the same size as him, but he forced himself through it. Someone had raped her and he had to do something about it.

It took a while, the sun setting and night stretching on, but he eventually made it back to their campsite from earlier that day. He set her down, their bedding still in place, and fell over, quickly passing out from exhaustion.


	6. Chapter 6

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 6

"Phantom. Phantom, wake up." Mystic said while pushing his side. He let out a groan and rolled over. She walked around to be face to face with him and lightly bopped him on the nose. "We gotta get moving."

He groaned again, opening on eye before shutting it quickly. "What? Where to?"

"To the tower, geez, did you forget?"

"The tower..."

A troubled look must have crossed his face, because she asked "What is it?"

"Do you not... we... ugh..." He couldn't bring himself to say anything about it. "We don't need to go there anymore."

"Why? What about the eevee?"

He grimaced and covered his head with his paws. "Just trust me please." He begged.

"No secrets. They always come back to haunt you. Tell me why." She said sternly.

"Would you want to know, even if it's something bad? Something really bad. I really don't want to say if you really don't remember."

"Don't remember what? Tell me already, dammit!"

"Fuck." He cursed under his breath. "You were... we made it to the tower, and someone knocked us out and raped you."

"Hah, that's a load of crap and you know it." His expression remained the same. "Seriously, stop joking." Nothing. "Then that means... my dream..." Her eyes went dim as she looked into her memories. "You were the one... who did it. I had a dream where we went into a dungeon and you stepped on a trap, then we... yeah..."

He thought to himself for a moment, his body, particularly his head, throbbing dully. His eyes widened when the memory came flooding back. He remembered everything. All that had happened yesterday, and how he had tried to fight it, but failed. He clenched his eyes and jaws, tears begging to fall. "It's all my fault!" He shouted suddenly, before turning and bounding off into the woods.

"Wait!" She tried to stop him, but he was gone. She followed after him, shouting for him the whole time. Her body ached with every step, but she couldn't let him do this. "Phantom, please come back! I don't blame you!"

Her voice fell on deaf ears. She tried her best, but his greater skill seemed to pay off as he vanished and she was lost. Her predicament did not stop her efforts though. The only thing she cared about was stopping him before he did something. "Phantom!" She kept calling, but received only silence in response. They only sounds besides her frantic panting and shouts was the wind. Occasionally she picked up the sound of a bird, but they only got her hopes up.

"Damn, damn, damn!" She nearly screamed in frustration. She couldn't let this ruin their friendship. In truth... she kinda liked what happened. She would have liked it much better if it had really been him though. Her love for Phantom definitely was more than what would be considered friendship. As she walked, considering her feelings, she became more and more absent, until she eventually tripped over something. She tumbled forward, smashing her face into a fallen and hollow log. She got back up, rubbing the sore spot.

She then heard the sound of crying, but not distantly. It was coming from in the log. She walked around and looked inside. There was a small, purple, mouse like pokemon, covered in spikes: a nidoran. The average nidoran would have been about her size, but this one was much smaller. "Must be a baby..." She said to herself quietly. Her fur raised as a chill ran over her body. Something was breathing behind her.

She leapt forward, onto the log, and spun around to face it. A gigantic similar looking pokemon was leaned over where she just was. The nidoking raised his head and roared at her. His horn began to glow as Mystic tried to back away. "I'm sorry. It was an accident..." She tried to explain. She dove to the side as he stabbed his horn forward, snapping the log in two where she was. The adrenaline coursings through her veins only nullify so much pain, and as she landed from her dodge, she stumbled. The nidoking took the opportunity, and smacked her away with a bulging forearm.

She cried out as she slammed into a tree, an sickening crack echoing out. She fell to the ground and began coughing in an attempt to recover. The ground shook as the beast stalked closer to her. "Help," She tried to yell, but all that came out was a faint whine. His horn began to glow again, and she closed her eyes in fear.

Phantom darted through the woods with impressive speed. His eyes were barely open, just enough to see, as tears streamed out of them, leaving a sparkling trail behind him. His every breath was labored and shuddering, and not from the running. He burst through a bush and landed in a clearing.

He reared up, standing on his rear paws for a moment, before slamming his front end down, his back collapsing too. He flailed on the ground for a moment before he curled up. He struggled to catch his breath, as he sniffled in an attempt to get control of his emotions. "Fuck... I'm so fucking stupid... HOW COULD I SCREW UP SO BAD!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, sending a flock of birds to the sky. He rolled back to his feet and charged forward, slamming his head into a tree. "I had someone and I fucking blew it!" He smashed his head into the tree again, letting out a sorrowful cry.

When nothing happened, Mystic opened her eyes again. She looked around in confusion after she saw no nidoking. The nidoran in the log was also gone. "Thank you..." She sheepishly said to no one in particular.

She slowly got up, fearful that the nidoking was still nearby. Her back shot out bolts of white hot pain, but she had to find Phantom. Just before she moved away, something caught her eye. A light blue orb sat near the log. She shook her head and decided not to mess with it.

"How could I screw up so bad!" A scream ripped through the quiet. It was faint, but she could tell the direction, and it was Phantom's voice. Gritting her teeth, she went as fast as she could towards it.

Phantom stopped smashing his head into the tree. The bark was damaged, and his head was bleeding profusely, the blood and tears mixing as they fell down. He drew his head back once again, but before he could smash it forward, something pounced on him. They rolled together across the ground until his attacker ended up on top of him. His eyes were too blurry to make them out, only seeing a red and orange creature. His fur bristled with electricity in preparation for retaliation.

Once he blinked a few times, the image cleared, revealing Mystic holding him down with her tears falling onto his chest. Her fur was puffed out with the static electricity he was letting off. "Please stop!" She yelled into his face. He winced at the emotion in her voice. "Stop blaming yourself. I don't!"

He rolled his head to the side, unable to look her in the eyes. "I raped you."

"No!" She smacked the side of his head. " _You_ didn't do anything. I blame whoever put that trap there."

Some of his blood ran down into one eye, forcing him to shut it. "You... really don't blame me?"

"For the love of..." She leaned down and licked him on the nose. "You didn't do anything wrong. Now get up, we should go rescue that eevee."

"I don't think... there really ever was one. Not all pokemon are nice people, so it may have been a trap."

"Why would someone send us into a trap like that?!"

"They probably wanted to rob us. Rescue teams are usually loaded."

"Dammit! Let's just warp back home then."

"We can't... Badges don't work outside of dungeons. I tried earlier."

"Wait, maybe... a little bit ago, I found some blue thing in the woods. Could that help?"

"Blue thing... an orb?! Yea, it could! Let's go!" He said excitedly, seemingly cheering up. He hurried forward but once he looked back, his joy left. She was limping along after him. "Are you okay?!" He asked, rushing back to her side.

"Yea, yea, I'll be fine. Let's just get the hell out of here." She tried to perk up, but her wounds were getting to her, forcing her to limp slowly alongside him. Every few seconds, he looked back to make sure she was making it. She put up a strong facade to ease his worries, even though her entire body burned with pain.

"Here," He suddenly said. He opened the box and offered her an oran berry. She accepted it, swallowing it in two large bites. Her pain lifted greatly, and they continued on. Every time her paws hit the ground though, pain shot through her for a brief moment. She hid it as best she could, only stumbling on the first few steps.

She guided him from behind back the way she came, until they returned to the fallen log. The orb was still sitting right there next to it. Phantom went up to it and looked at it closely. "Ha! We are so lucky! This is an escape orb. See this house shape inside? That's how you can tell."

She came over and they both pressed a paw to it. The orb let out a bright yellow light, blinding them both, before they found themselves in their room.

"An escape orb teleports you back to where ever you think of as home. Do you need the nurse?"

"Yea, and so do you." She said, pointing at his bloody forehead.

They both went down and into nurse Puffles' office. "What can I- My lord, what happened!" She exclaimed upon seeing them.

"We got into trouble..." Phantom said shyly. She guided them over and got them both on examination tables. Phantom was up first. The blissey took some alcohol and a cloth and began to clean up his head. He hissed at the burning sensation it caused. She then gently went in with a pair of tweezers, working expertly with her pudgy hands to pick out any remaining splinters. Once done, she switched to examine Mystic.

She visibly bit her lip while gently combing through the vulpix's fur. She carefully touched her back, apply just enough pressure to make Mystic squirm. "You have some spinal damage, little lady. And this foot too." She said, pointing to her right one. "It's not crippling, but still dangerous. I'll get you patched up, but you have to take it easy or you won't heal properly. I'll give you some sitrus berries to take and dull the pain."

A while later and Mystic had a brace around her midsection and a splint on her foot. She could still walk, but couldn't put much weight on it. The entire time, Phantom was looking at her with a guilty face. They walked out together and slowly headed back to the room. Mystic wanted to speak, but she decided to wait until they got into privacy.

Once back, she immediately spoke up. "Don't blame yourself for this. It's my fault. I was attacked in the forest."

"But if I didn't run off-"

"Dammit! Stop doing that! Shit happens, whether you want it to or not. Bad thing will happen no matter what. It's all out of your control so just relax. You can be guilty for your mistakes all day long, but stop being so negative, please." She said, her emotions going from angry to sympathetic.

"I..."

"You don't have to respond. Just, trust me, all right?"

"Yeah..." He said. He got up and took two apples from the barrel. He rolled on over to his bed, and carried the other gently in his teeth to hers. He set it down for her, making sure it didn't escape before she got hold of it. She put a paw over his.

"Please. You're a good person, you have nothing to be ashamed of."

He blushed and hurried back over to his bedding. "Thanks..."

"You know... if I was in better shape, I would pounce you right now."

"W-w-what?!"

"I honestly almost liked what happened. I just wish my first time was with you."

He just blushed and looked down. He took one more slow bite of his apple, but his appetite had vanished. "How could you be interested in someone like me? I'm just so... average. There are pokemon out there who would be so much better for you."

She let out a heavy sigh. "You just proved it. You care about me. If I went out and asked some random male to fuck me, they would do it and leave."

"Of course I care. You're my friend."

"Well maybe I want to be more than friends."

He got up and walked towards the curtain. "I'm gonna go for a walk. I'll be back later." Before she could respond, he was gone.

He walked with a purpose out into the town, a stern look on his face. He wasn't thinking about their conversation though. He found it soon enough: the house where Hearth the typhlosion had been. In front of the house was a for rent sign. He gritted his teeth in anger.

With his suspicions confirmed, he headed back to the headquarters to get some info. Once there, he headed straight for the main office. He had to wait outside, as someone else was with Marie, but when they were done, he went in and got right to the point.

"Do you know anything about a typhlosion named Hearth?"

"Let me see." She turned around and went through a few filing cabinets before turning back. "No records of a such a pokemon in the rescue team registrations but there is a record of him renting a property here. May I ask why you need to know?"

"He sent us into a trap. I think he might be a bandit."

"That is worrying. The house was rented almost a week ago. Other than that, there are no traces."

"I went to his house, and he's gone. We got pretty hurt and there was no sign of the pokemon we were sent to rescue."

"Yes, that is very suspicious. If we discover anything, we will let you know."

"Thanks." He said, before heading back to the room. The sun was beginning to set, and as he walked across the yard, he saw Mystic looking out of their second floor window. They locked eyes for a moment, and she vanished from the glass.

Once he got back up to the room, she was laying on her bed as usual.

He took his place and rolled onto his side without a word.

"I want you."

"Hmm?" He said, raising his head. He had been distracted with his own thoughts and hadn't heard her.

"I want to have sex, with you. But I feel like crap, so I want you to promise me."

"I... uh, wow..." He took a deep breath. After a long pause, he said "Alright. If it'll make you happy, I'll do it."

She smiled and relaxed. She reached her muzzle into the bag of berries sitting next to her, ate one of the sitrus berries inside, and closed her eyes. "Could you hit the light?" She mumbled.

He got up and did so, his body feeling quite stiff. His exhaustion was quickly catching up to him. Only seconds after he closed his eyes, he was out.


	7. Chapter 7

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 7

About a week was spent in down time. Every day, they would go down to the see Puffles, and she would do her best to make sure Mystic was healing properly. She knew powerful healing moves, but she could only do so much. On the seventh checkup, Phantom excused himself and went over to see Marie.

The mienshao secretary greeted him warmly. "How can I help?"

"Any news on Hearth?"

"Nothing. He seems to have disappeared. At least he hasn't tried the trick he pulled on you in any other bases."

"Damn." He said. "We should be back in action soon, so I would really appreciate you keeping an eye out."

"I'm certainly busy, but I can track down some lowlife any time, don't worry."

He left and returned to the main hall. A familiar scizor was leaning against a wall, watching the goings on. Phantom went up to him. "Hunter? Can I ask you something?" He said formally.

"No need to be so stiff. We are both rescue teams, equals. What can I do for you?" He said, placing a claw over his chest and giving a light bow, accompanied by a flutter of his tiny wings.

"Have you ever heard of a typhlosion named Hearth?"

"As I think, may I ask why?" A claw drifted up and began to rub at his chin.

"He lured us into a nasty trap. We got lucky and made it out, but things could have gone very bad."

"Are you sure it wasn't a natural trap? Where was this?"

"Spook Tower, but it wasn't in the main building, there was a hole in the ground, and it wasn't a mystery dungeon."

"I thought so. I've run into similar situations before. No telling if it's the same group, but I've had encounters with well organized bandits that used rescue missions as traps."

"That's kinda scary."

"No worries. If you ever get in trouble, you have friends here that will help."

Phantom turned to leave, but he felt a claw gently touch his back.

"Why did you join a rescue team?" Hunter asked.

"My friend, Mystic, lost her memories. We want to get it back somehow, so starting a rescue team seemed like the best option."

"I can sense your sincerity, and the kindness in your heart. When you've been around as long as I have, judgments of character come easily. Go to the Forest of Lakes, there you will find three pokemon. Tell them I sent you, and they may help you. Also something else that might interest you, we have a group exploration scheduled soon. You may discover something in the mysterious places we explore. I wish you luck with your endeavors."

"Thanks so much. I gotta go see how she's doing. Bye." Phantom told him, his tail waving happily. He trotted along back to the nurse, his mood at its best in a while. "Mystic!" He spouted out the moment he burst into the room. His smile grew even brighter when he saw her without her cast. "Good news! Hunter, the federation leader, he gave us a lead. We might be able to get your memory back!"

Her mood brightened too. She looked _deflated_ as her midsection fur was compressed from being contained for so long. "Really?! Am I good to go Puffles?!" She said excitedly, looking at the blissey with puppy dog eyes.

"You should be fine. There might be a bit of soreness, but otherwise..." Before she could finish, Mystic was off the table and halfway out the door. "Have a nice day!" She tried to shout, but the pair was long gone.

"So I told him about the situation and he said there was this place called Forest of Lakes, and that there was a pokemon there who could help us."

"Great, let's go!"

"Hold up, we need to prepare." He said, leading the way to the western most section of the headquarters. Inside, they found many tough looking pokemon in a bustling indoor market. It was similar to the town's one, but the difference in wares was readily apparent. All the stalls contained more adventure oriented gear.

"Whatever happened to those ghost berries we bought?"

"I guess we still have them. We can probably store them here." He looked around until he saw a bank sign. "Over here."

They went up to the stand, but there was no one there. "Hello?" Mystic asked, tapping the bell on the desk a few times.

"Oh, sorry." A voice said. A pink mass of slime rose up, amorphous at first, before taking shape. "What can I do for you?" The ditto asked.

"Can you store some stuff for us?" Phantom asked.

"Sure! Team name?"

"Team Memories." He said, putting the two leftover berries on the stand.

"And paw print..." The ditto said, holding out a ink pan and a slip of paper. Phantom did it, and the ditto vanished under the stall again. A few moments later, it returned. "All right. Come on back anytime!" A hand formed out of the blob and waved at them as they left.

"So anything else?" Mystic asked, visible anxious to get moving.

"We could stand to get some supplies."

Shortly after, they were set, and they headed off to the east of town. On the way, they passed by the beach where Phantom used to live. "Been a long time hasn't it? We've come a long way."

"It's only been a couple weeks and we've only done like one real job. Doesn't seem like that much to me." Mystic said, sounding a bit downtrodden.

"Where'd all that energy go? Ten minutes ago and you looked ready to take on Arceus himself."

"I'm... nervous, I guess. So much could be riding on this, or it could just be another dead end."

"Well if Hunter told us to go here, it can't be pointless."

"And I'm worried about something else. What if I forget everything since I lost my memory? What if I forget about you?!" She looked ready to tear her fur out.

"Stop being so pessimistic. You seem to get like this every time we get close to finding something out. Things will all work out. You can't be that different without your memories." He said with a gentle smile, putting a paw over hers. "You've certainly helped me feel more comfortable, so it's upsetting to see you like this. Come on, perk up. Let's do this!" He said with enthusiasm in an attempt to cheer her up.

She forced a smile. "You're right, but it doesn't really make me feel better. I'll do my best though." She nodded.

"Great. So the forest isn't too far away, but I'm worried about the enemies. The place is full of small lakes and ponds, so it's filled with grass and water types. I'm good against water, and you're good against grass, so we'll have to be on our toes."

After only an hour of walking they arrived at a large forest, with a similar wall of foliage to Ripe Woods. Once again, the main road led right to the entrance. They both went in and began the exploration.

FOREST OF LAKES F1

The first thing that assaulted them was the heat and humidity. The thick and shady canopy seemed to trap all the heat and moisture in the air and close to the ground. Already, the reason for the name was apparent. While some walls were made of plants, most were made of water. Mystic curiously went up to one and dipped a paw in.

"Shit!" She suddenly yelled, jumping back. A chill ran through her and she shook the water out of her paw. "That's cold!"

Phantom came up and lightly tapped the surface. "No it's not. It's a little cold but not _that_ cold."

"Yeah, it is. Swimming is out of the question. But at least we can see better."

They continued on, following a curvy path around a lake. On the way, a splash sounded out. Two goldeen flew out of the water and landed on either side of them. Phantom was on the front one immediately, firing a thunderbolt at it. The electricity sent it fleeing back into the water, using its wide tail to flop back into the lake.

Mystic quickly turned to face the other, but not before it shot of stream of water at her. It hit with some force, but she stood her ground. She sucked in a breath and tried to build up a flamethrower, but when she shot it out, it was only a sputtering ember.

"Thunderbolt!" Phantom yelled from behind her, allowing her to move aside as a bolt of lightning shot into the goldeen. It was sent rolling back a few feet, before it slowly crawled back into the water.

"Little bastards. What the hell happened? I tried to use flamethrower but it didn't work." Mystic said angrily.

"Well, yea. Water attacks are strong against you, kinda like how your moves are good against grass. Water might not hurt as much as a fighting type move, but it does weaken you. Ground type moves do the same to me. So even if you did use it, it wouldn't have done much."

They continued on, stuck between the forest wall and the lake, until they reached another large clearing. "Stop." His stance quickly turned defensive. "Follow me, quietly." He entered and the room and began to inch along the wall.

"What is it?" She whispered.

"That." He said with a great deal of hatred. He pointed a paw at the blue and purple blob sitting next to the lake. They were to the side of it, allowing her to see it. The smiling pokemon was happily splashing its feet in the water and drumming its belly with its flippers. She could hear it humming too.

"It doesn't look too nasty..." she said skeptically.

"That is the face of evil!" He whispered harshly. "We are screwed if it sees us." They stealthily snuck around the edge of the room, aiming for the path on the other side. Just before they escaped, the quagsire turned around. Phantom froze and he could swear his heart stopped.

They locked eyes for a moment, before it raised a flipper and waved at them, letting out a happy sound. It then turned back to the water, continuing to play.

"Told you he wasn't dangerous."

"I don't trust him. They are all evil. That happy grin is just a way to ambush you." He said once they were in the next hall.

"Why do you think that? Seems kinda harsh to treat a nice pokemon like that."

"When I was living on my own, a swampert attacked me and forced me out of one of my homes. Swampert and quagsire are both water and ground types. And that means I can't use lightning on them."

"That doesn't mean they're all evil."

"Oh they are. E-v-i-l. Can't trust 'em." They made it to the next room, Phantom carefully looking in before they entered. "Hmm? That's weird. See that cave? I think that's where we gotta go, but dungeons usually don't change terrain." They proceeded into the dark cave.

"I can't see." Mystic complained. Phantom could barely see either, only able to look a few feet ahead, now that the sunlight had been left outside.

"I know, neither can I, but that means any other pokemon can't either." As he walked, he carefully scanned the ground, and experimentally padded any uneven sections of ground. "Wait a second..." He said. Mystic stopped but he did not. "I didn't mean stop. Look, there's the exit, but look down."

"What the..." She muttered. There were paw prints in the dirt. She leaned down closer for a better look, and placed her paw over it. An exact match.

He went forward while she examined the prints. He poked his head of the cave. "I knew it! We got turned around." He returned to her. Now she took the lead. "Can you breath out a small constant stream of fire?"

"Yeah, why? Oh, I got it." She breathed out a small, candle like flame, providing much greater light. She couldn't speak though, as maintaining the flame required all the use of her mouth.

As Phantom really suspected, they arrived back where they just were, same paw prints and light. "Damn, we are in one. So I read about this really rare type of trap that makes a path loop, and this seems like one. If we can find the point where it spins us around, we can disarm it." She nodded, allowing him to lead, as he was the one facing in. "Actually, I think I got this." He turned around to face her. "Stay here. Every time I come back, you take a few steps forward."

She nodded and watched him fade into the darkness. Several seconds later, he came walking back. She went forward and met him, then he repeated the process. This continued until she saw him disappear for a split second before reappearing, facing her. She almost spoke, and the flame flickered with it, so she settled for grunting. He nodded, standing in the exact spot. He looked around, but was stumped when he couldn't find anything.

"Well shit." He muttered. He took a step forward, only to be turned around. He spun back and tried leaping forward, but was turned back in midair, launching forward and landing just in front of her. He got back up while she eyed him skeptically. He went over to the spot, and put his ear to one of the walls. He tapped his paw against the wall, and a look of success dawned on him. He took a step back, electricity sparked through his fur, and with a flash of light, he blast through the thin wall. "Yeah! Suck it!" He yelled at the gap.

The rock and dust fell away to reveal a stone stairwell that led downwards. They proceeded down, Mystic still keeping the flame lit. The sound of dripping water grew louder with every step down. Soon, the sound of rushing water echoed up towards them. They eventually reached the bottom, stepping out into a large dome like cavern. Water dripped freely from the ceiling, and ran down the walls, all draining into a river that flowed down the middle of the passage. There was walking space on either side of the river. Above them, crystals sparkled, looking almost like stars. They were bright enough that there was no need for mystic to keep a light now.

"Ohh," She marveled. "They're so pretty." She looked over at the gently running stream, the stars sparkling in the crystal clear water. She let out a sharp whistle, and listened to it echo down the cave.

Phantom was distracted though. He was focused on a serpentine shape moving through the water. He stared at it as it swam downstream and away from them. He breathed a sigh of relief once it was gone. "Yeah, it does look nice. We need to be careful though. Hidden paths are often more dangerous."

They followed the river, down a slight slant. The path was large enough that they could walk side by side, though Mystic stayed a bit further back. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her looking around, watching the water fall down the stone walls, looking at the river, or the star like crystals. He was still worried about the creature he saw, but he didn't want to rain on her parade. His curiosity was peaked when he spotted a large and ornate stone door. He was able to make out more detail once they got close. Mystic had spotted it now too.

It was made of marble with intricate, and indecipherable, engravings. In the center, was a triangle of sorts, with each end painted. One was yellow, another pink, and the last blue. While they were examining the door...

"Who dares?" A thundering voice asked from behind them.

Phantom turned around, and his heart sunk. He opened his mouth to speak, but found his voice out of reach.

Mystic turned too, having to look up to see the face of the dragonite. "Who are you?" she asked plainly.

"TRESSPASSERS ARE NOT ALLOWED!" He bellowed. Phantom could swear he felt rocks tumble down from the ceiling. Dragonite were known for being friendly, but powerful when angered. This one however, seemingly had no nice intentions. "You have but one chance to depart! Leave NOW or perish!"

"We are looking for someone. Are you him?"

"RAHGHHH" He roared. He dashed forward with arms outstretched. They both dove to either side. He slammed down where they just were, leaving a small crater. He rose slowly, giving them time to fight back. They both unleashed their best moves, hitting the dragon from either side with fire and electricity, but he seemed completely unfazed.

He looked to either side, picking his next target, while he drew in a deep breath. He looked at Mystic and roared. A wave a sharp stones shot out of the ground and up into her. Thanks to her small size and lithe body, she was able to dodge impalement, but not without a few cuts and scratches. She leapt off of one of the rocks and out of the remaining ones. The dragon spun around and opened his mouth. This time, a beam of ice shot out, forcing Phantom to stop building up his energy to dodge. The dragon tracked him, leaving a path of ice along the ground in the move's wake. After the attack was over, he looked even angrier.

A stream of fire that hit his back sealed it. He raised his head and let out a deafening roar. His eyes turned red and waves of energy began to roll off his body. In a blur of speed, he rushed towards Phantom, wildly swinging his limbs at him. Phantom managed to dodge a few, but one hit him hard, slamming him down to the rock. In another blur, he rushed towards Mystic, repeating the raging attacks. She flipped around, using her tails as a screen to block his vision, but he grabbed onto one and tossed her at Phantom. She hit the ground just in front of him, and bounced up and over him.

"You still good?" Phantom asked her.

"Yea." She responded.

The dragonite was panting loudly and his eyes were closed, leaving them a short reprieve.

"I have a plan. Our attacks are weak against him, so we need to step it up. Follow my lead, and try something new!" He yelled. He pounced forward, using the remaining rocks from the stone edge attack to leap up at the dragon. He bit down with his sharp teeth on one of his feelers, shaking his head for maximum damage. The dragonite tried to fight him off, but his fist connected with his own jaw, sending him reeling back and into the stone wall. Mystic was trying her best to use a new move. Her hatred grew stronger and stronger, coalescing into actual power. She directed all of her aggression at the dragonite and he visually distorted, his body seeming to split in half. She blinked in surprise and the extrasensory attack stopped, but the mental damage had been done.

The dragonite roared in pain, trying once again to shake off the small lion latched onto his antenna. He missed again, this time slamming his fist into the wall. Phantom bit down harder, using hit fangs to pierce flesh, and with a strong pull, he ripped it off. The taste of blood filled his mouth, but there wasn't much.

The dragon's roars reached a new volume, and it charged forward in blind rage. With a tremendous giga impact, he slammed into the marble door. It cracked and fell apart, while Phantom leaped off the dragonite. The falling marble smashed into his head, and he collapsed into a pile of rubble. Phantom prepared for another pounce, but when the dragonite did not twitch, he relaxed.

"Woah, we got lucky. But holy shit we just took down a dragonite!" He cheered.

"What the hell did I do to him?" Mystic said, her voice cracking.

"Come on, we need to move before he wakes up." They both scurried over the pile of rubble, and unconscious dragon, and rushed down the path.

They found themselves in a large room, with a triangle shape in the floor, formed by a small puddles of water. Three spheres of light were floating in the room, each centered above a puddle inside the triangle.

Suddenly, all three balls burst, revealing three pokemon. "Uxie? Who are they?" The pink one asked.

"Phantom and Mystic, Mesprit." The yellow one answered, with its eyes closed.

"Intruders must have their memories erased!" The blue one yelled.

"Yes, Azelf." Mesprit answered. "Will you have your memories removed peacefully or will we have to use force?"

"Memories? Mystic, maybe they erased your memory!"

"Excuse me," She said. "Have you seen me before?"

"Enough!" Azlef shouted again. It flew forward and its blue head began to glow.

"Yes, that its quite enough."

Azlef stopped dead in its tracks. "Hunter?" it asked.

"I sent them. They are good, and they need expert help." The scizor said, stepping out from the hallway they had just come down.

Mesprit floated forward. "In that case," it looked down at the pair. "Do you promise to keep our presence secret?"

They both nodded. Uxie floated forward now. "No, we did not erase your memories. Our ability only removes memory of this place, nothing more."

"How did you know we were going to ask that?" Phantom said.

"I am the being of knowledge, it is my specialty." It said with a smile, though its eyes remained closed.

"So do you know what happened to me then?" Mystic asked urgently.

"No. I do not know all. I am quite intelligent, and I can read your minds, but otherwise, I am unsure."

"I have something to say too." Mesprit flew over close to them, leaning in between them while motioning for them to come closer. "Hold each other close. I can feel your love. Do not squander such a wonderful emotion." It put a paw on the backs of their heads and pulled them closer. "Now kiss."

They both blushed and turned away. Mesprit flew away laughing maniacally.

"Now why don't I send you two home. I need to speak with the lake guardians." Hunter said, ushering them over with a claw. He flipped one over, revealing the badge tied to the back of his claw hand.

"How did you know to come find us?" Phantom asked.

He smiled and chuckled, lifting his head, showing off a ribbon tied around his neck. "This ribbon allows me to transport to any team's location. It is one of my most precious belongings." He then tapped both of them with his badge, sending them back. "Now then, we have a problem. I think they are coming back. Hearth was spotted in town a few days ago. Any news on your end?"

They both appeared back in front of the federation building.

"I already wanna blab. I can't believe we just did that." Phantom giddily said.

"What? What's the big deal?"

"Those pokemon, were, uhh, very special."

"Well, you promised to keep it a secret, so shut it."

"I know, I know."

They went on to get dinner, and headed up to their room for some rest.

"So, you wanna..." She said, insinuating quite a bit.

"What?"

"You made me a promise, and while I am a bit sore, I intend on seeing it happen."

"How about this? Let me decide when it happens. I want it to be perfect."

"If you keep me waiting too long, I might just have to take it~" She said, giving him a sultry look.

"You heard Mespirt, I do love you." He said with a deep blush. "Good night, sleep tight." He said, before curling up.


	8. Chapter 8

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 8

Mystic woke up peacefully that morning. She felt wonderful. "Wow, I slept great." She said, looking over to Phantom. Except he wasn't there. "Oh." She looked around, but didn't see him. She did however see a white object on his bed. She got up and went over to it to discover a piece of paper.

"Taking care of things. Find you later. Phantom." It read. She stopped briefly to wonder how he had written it. The image of him holding a pen in his mouth brought a smile to her face. She hopped in the bath for a minute to rinse herself, and then headed outside. She had her own things to take care of.

She went out to the training yard and took over one of the unused dummies. That move she had used yesterday, she wanted to master it. She carefully focused, recalling what happened. They were attacked, they were injured, and she was angry, furious at the dragonite. She directed those feelings at the inanimate object, giving it a death glare and baring her fangs. The dummy just sat there, doing nothing. She tried to work herself up, to reach the peak of emotion again, but she just couldn't do it. After a while of nothing, she stepped forward and began to bat and smack the dummy with her paws, trying anything to get riled up.

She went overboard, and ended up falling over. She got up, flipped her tails about to get the dust out of them. She was panting loudly, but still, nothing.

"Mystic."

She turned around when she heard someone call her name. She immediately spotted Hunter approaching her.

"Where is your friend?" He asked gently.

"I haven't seen him since this morning, said he had stuff to do."

"Any idea where he is?"

"Nope. What's up?"

"He brought your situation with a typhlosion named Hearth to my attention. I take bandits very seriously, so I was attempting to gather more information about it."

"Oh, that son of a bitch. Sent us to find his eevee friend, who never existed."

"That's just it. Home the eevee lived here in town with her family. She was reported missing almost three weeks ago."

"How did you know that? The job never said anything about who it was..."

"Very observant. Based on your reaction, I assume my guess was right. Another team brought back a record of what they found at Spook Tower: a diary and ribbon, that Home's family confirmed as hers. I also received a report from another rescue team base far away from here, saying that they had a run-in with a typhlosion matching Hearth's description. I believe that Hearth robbed Home and was using her as a way to rob you. We do not know what happened to her, however. She may be dead, but I hold hope that he is keeping her prisoner."

"So why tell me all this? It sounds pretty official."

"Exactly. All rescue teams are equal, no matter the rank. So, as you were the ones to bring it to my attention, you and I shall be working together to solve this. I plan to keep you informed, and I expect the same in return. Rest assured, he will be brought to justice." He placed his claw against his chest, and his back went straight in a salute.

"Thanks."

"Welcome. So what are you doing?"

"Hmm? Oh, trying a new move, but it's not really working."

"Maybe I can help you. I have the most experience with moves next to Crash."

"So when we fought the dragonite gatekeeper, I got really mad and he kinda... split? But he didn't really."

"Ahh, that move is called extrasensory. Your species is unique in that they can learn some psychic and ghost type moves. Those moves are unique in that they attack the target's mind. Tell you what, I'll tell you how to use that, and teach you an even better move. It's called hex." He stepped past her and stood next to the dummy. "Test them on me. Dummies don't really have a mind to attack so go ahead. I can take it."

"So how do I do it?"

"Ah yes, Phantom mentioned you didn't have your memory. Most pokemon can use moves by instinct. Let's see... For extrasensory, you use your emotions and confuse the enemy with them. It causes no physical damage, but the shock can knock you unconscious. Hex is similar, however it works from the opponents mind. You take their weaknesses and bring them to the surface, causing them to manifest. First, you need to find my weakness. I'm trained to resist such moves but I'll leave one thing exposed for you."

She nodded and looked him over for a weak spot. He was standing casually, without protecting himself, but she didn't see anything in particular. She locked eyes with him and felt something, a little tingle in her head. She continued staring, and the tingle grew more intense. An image of a roaring fire popped into her mind. *Fire?* she thought.*Is that his weakness?* She drew in a breath and spit a weak ball of flame at him.

He made no attempts to avoid it and it hit him in the chest. He did not even react. Licks of flame spread over his body and continued burning. "Good!" He said to her. "Now, I'm burned. Hex is especially strong against pokemon with status effects. Try again, but don't use any other moves."

She repeated the process, this time seeing him exactly as he was, standing there with fire on him. The terrain around him was dark, and all she could see was him. As her thoughts went to harm, two purple orbs formed in the real world next to him. In her mind, she pictured the flames growing and consuming his body. The twin orbs flew at him and exploded in a blast of ghost energy. The malice of her thoughts was transmitted and hit hard, but once again, he did not budge.

"Perfect. The attacks different types are related to their sources. Extrasensory uses your emotions to attack and damage your enemies mind. Hex uses their weaknesses and fears, and combines it with your aggression to create a powerful attack. They both have conditions where they are useless, just like your fire moves. Mastering your moves is key to success." He told her with a smile. He took a moment to pat out the flames on his body and left, completely unharmed.

"Thanks!" She called after him. He waved a claw back at her as he walked away. Now that training was done, she was getting hungry. On the way in, she passed by a notice board, and she couldn't help but spot the glittery sign. It proclaimed that there was a meteor shower tonight. *I wonder... If so, that's pretty convenient.*

She proceeded on into the lunch line. She considered getting something for Phantom to eat later, but without any idea when he would turn up, she decided not to.

After eating, she didn't really know what to do. It was about midday and Phantom likely wouldn't come find her until dark. As curious as she was, she didn't want to ruin whatever he was planning. So, she decided to head over to the market place and explore.

The shopping area of the building was as busy as ever, and all by herself, Mystic was a bit overwhelmed in the crowd, many of the pokemon being larger than her. One of the shops that really caught her attention was a jewelry shop, containing ribbons and other items. There was one she had her eyes on, an orange ribbon with a red heart on it. The other that she liked was a bright yellow, with a small black lightning bolt pattern knitted into it.

As much as she wanted the one for her, Phantom deserved a present, so she bought the yellow one. The shopkeeper explained that it powered up electric type moves. She got it boxed, and put her head through the large strap, carrying it by her neck as she left. She headed back outside.

"Hey, kid." She looked over and saw a charizard beckoning her. "Yeah, over here." She approached, trying to place his familiar face. "I gotta job for ya."

"Wait, aren't you Flare, that one asshole?"

"Watch it missy. I'm only talking to you as a favor for a friend. He wants you to prove your worth, so you're gonna go get somethin' for him. Any questions?"

"Yeah, can you go fuck yourself?" She said plainly. He growled in response. "I haven't forgotten how you treated us, so if you think we're going to do you any favors-"

"Fine then, bitch." He grunted, turning his head and snorting out a bit of flame. He flapped his wings, sending out a gust of wind and dust across the ground and messing her fur as he took flight. He was obviously trying to be intimidating, but she couldn't care less. It felt good to get some revenge. She walked away with a strut in her step and smile on her face.

She decided to head back to the room and clean up. Her fur was coated with dust and the wind had disrupted it. Once back up, she turned on the bath, removed her badge, and hopped in after the water warmed. She sunk low, allowing the water to cover her body. She took a deep breath and dove her head in, surfacing a second later. She did this a few more times, then looked over her body, making sure her fur was completely clean. She got out of the tub and began to lick her fur smooth, making sure it was perfect. Once she was prim and proper, she affixed her badge back in between her ears. She started to leave, but realized something. If she went back out, she might get dirty again!

She made a disgusted sound as she went over to the window. She nudged aside the curtain and climbed onto the stool to look out. The sun wasn't that low in the sky, so she would be stuck here for a while.

Phantom was walking back towards the base, when Flare swooped out of the sky and landed in front of him.

"Kid, I got work for ya."

Phantom yelped at the sudden charizard. "Uh, okay..."

"Yea, that's right. When the second best pokemon in the rescue federation gives you an order, you follow."

"So what do we need to do?"

"You will go to Black Bleak Cave and rescue a friend of mine. I would go, but the cave is too small for me to fit. I would really... appreciate it." He said as if it hurt.

"Sure, we'll leave tomorrow." Phantom said, stepping around Flare and continuing on his way.

A short time later, he made it back to their room. He found Mystic there, looking out the window. "Hey." He greeted her.

"Soooo, where have you been?"

"I found us a job for the day. Ready to go?"

He wasn't too good at hiding, and she knew exactly what they were really going to do, but she didn't reveal that. "Finally, I've been bored out of my mind here. Let's go."

"What's that thing around your neck?" He asked on the way.

"My leftover lunch. What? You want some?"

"No, that's fine."

They left the headquarters and went out into the town. They headed eastward and down the hill until they reached the beach where Phantom used to live. The sky was beginning to grow orange.

"So what's the job?"

Phantom stopped and looked around, seeing that no one else was around. "You have to enjoy yourself." He sat down on the sand, right next to a pile of wood. She joined him and drew in a breath to light it. "Stop, this job has a special condition. You have to relax too, so let me." He explained with a smile. He turned around and placed his tail on the wood. It twitched a few times as electricity flowed through it, and a spark took root, slowly growing into a flame.

He lied back down and she began to scoot closer, not minding the sand getting in her fur. When their fur touched, he looked over at her with a blush and a smile. She moved even closer, until their bodies touched, and she leaned into him, letting out a pleased sigh. They sat like that for a while, until the sun set. Phantom got up, causing her to let out a groan, and went around the fire.

"It's time." He said. He pushed a medium sized rock onto the fire, putting it out and putting the beach into darkness. The moon was absent and Journey town was also black, leaving the starry sky very visible.

Mystic let out a gasp when a shooting star shot past. Soon, more came, until the sky was filled with streaks of light. "It's beautiful..." She said dreamily.

"A-a-are y-you r-r-ready t-then?" He said shakily.

She smiled and got up. She walked over to him and licked him on the nose. "I'm not going to bite." She started to turn around.

"Not here." He said. He led her over a ways, until they reached a bush. He moved the branches away, to reveal the spacious and hollowed out inside. She stepped inside and looked up to see that the top was removed too, providing a clear window into the night sky, still filled with shooting stars. She lowered her front, presenting her rear to him, while forming a heart shape out of her tails.

He approached and gave her folds a lick, and her anticipation grew. Instead of mounting her though, he walked around to her front. He pushed a box in front of her and waited expectantly.

She rose again and opened it, taking out the orange ribbon with a red heart shaped pendant. "How did you know?" She asked.

"Know what?"

"This is the one I wanted."

"I didn't... the shop had two and I bought one. Does that mean..."

"Yep, here's your present." She lowered her head, allowing him to slip the box off her neck. He opened it to find his lightning bolt ribbon. She affixed it to one of his ears and he put hers on, wrapped around the base of an ear. She gave him another lick on the nose. "Thanks." She turned around once again and returned to her previous stance.

He gave her vulva another lick, and this time, climbed carefully onto her back. She then felt his jet black member poking at her rear as he tried to get it in.

"So, why do you have a knot?" She asked.

"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry!" He started to get off her back but her tails wrapped around him, three on either side, holding him down.

"What?! No, in fact, I like it. But felines don't usually have them."

"My father was an manectric, and I kind of... inherited it from him. Does it really not upset you?"

"Well I am a fox~" She purred, grinding herself back onto him. "So why don't you put it to use~"

He made another attempt to thrust in, and with her pussy already grinding him, he ended up hot-dogging her slit. He drew back to line up another thrust-

 _BOOOOOOM_

He would have leaped into the air, but he was still held down by the iron grip of her tails. A massive explosion had shook the ground. She tried to thrust back into him, not really caring about what happened, but it had scared him soft.

"What the fuck was that!?" He yelled in a blind panic.

Mystic let go of him and stepped out from under him. She poked her head out to find a small meteorite lying in the sand, letting out a steady stream of smoke. The smell of burning tires assaulted her nose. Phantom joined her in looking out, his face scrunching in disgust. "Damn it! Things were just getting good!" She whined.

Phantom stepped out of the bush and started walking over to the stone. As he did, a crack formed down the middle, and a large black triangle shape fell out and onto the sand. "What is that?" He asked.

She approached too, getting close to the object. She reached out and tapped it. She hissed and pulled her paw away. "Shit, that's hot!"

"Well it did just come from space... But what is it?"

"Well, a triangle. A space triangle. When it cools off, I'm taking it." She said, bringing her paw close to feel the heat.

"My heart is still pounding..."

"Yea, maybe we should take a rain check. As much as I want it, and tonight was the perfect night, this is a once in a lifetime deal. We can fuck anytime."

"Don't say it like that!" He said with a blush.

"You're a cutey." She gave him lick on the cheek. "Thanks for the date. Now help me carry this thing." The object was about as big as her head. She took one end in her mouth once it cooled, and he took another. It was heavy for its size, but the two of them carried it with little problem back to their room. Now that the shower was over, the town was quiet, so no one saw them sneaking it home.

They got it back, sitting it in the corner of the room. It was certainly a triangle. A nearly flat and jet black one. Mystic covered it with some of their bedding and they went to sleep. She had really wanted to do it tonight, but she didn't want to force him.


	9. Chapter 9

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 9

Mystic awoke first in the morning. She woke up quite early, jumping up from a nightmare. She quickly looked over to the blanket that covered her triangle. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was undisturbed. Her dream had been about someone breaking into their room and trying to steal it. Phantom had tried to protect her and got... She shook the thought out of her head. It was only a dream. She look at the curtain, but she could barely see a hint of light. Fairly confident that is was still early, she laid back down and returned to sleep.

"Hey, wake up sleepy head."

She opened her eyes to find Phantom prodding her ear. "What time is it?" She grumbled.

"Like noon. We got shit to do."

"Oh, I guess I'll get up." She got to her feet and let out a loud yawn. "I slept like crap." She slowly and stiffly walked over to the tub. She turned on the water and splashed it into her face. She winced and hissed loudly. "GAHH!" She nearly screamed, but chocked it down at the last moment. "That's cold!"

"Well duh. At least you're wide awake..." Phantom said nonchalantly.

"Shut up, you don't know how cold water feels, geez. Does dirt feel like that to you?" She complained while rubbing her face with her forepaws.

"Not really. Mud is annoying, but I think that's just because its icky."

She shook the remaining water from her face and turned the water back off. She went over the food basket, took a berry out and popped it in her mouth. "Okay, ready. Let's go."

"I already stocked up on stuff before I woke you, so we can go straight there."

"And where is that?"

"Black Bleak Cave. We got a special request to rescue someone in there. I got a reviver seed just for them."

"I would ask what that is, but I can assume from the name. Same for the cave, it sounds dark. Got anything more?" By now they were on the way out of the headquarters.

"Well, it is known for being pitch black, hence the name. It's also really-"

He was cut short by a gust of wind and a thud as a charizard landed in front of them. Flare let out a menacing growl, looking at Mystic, before looking to Phantom. "You leavin' to do my job?"

"Yea, we were just leaving."

Mystic looked over to him with a scowl. "That's right, so buzz off." She told Flare scornfully.

"Watch it. I am the second strongest pokemon of any rescue team. Like me or not, show me some damn respect." Flare snorted, blowing a small puff of black smoke. He stepped around them, purposefully flapping a wing threateningly at Mystic as he passed.

Once he was gone, they started walking again. "So anyways," Phantom started. "The cave is known for being small, so only small pokemon like us can go in. That's why he asked us to do it."

"And when were you going to tell me that it was that prick that asked us to go?" She said angrily.

"I don't really see how it matters..."

"Fuck him. Why should we help him after the way he treated us?"

"Because we're a rescue team. It's our job to help anyone who needs it." He said proudly.

"I guess, but there is something bugging me. Why did he ask us? He really seems to hate rookies like us so..."

"I've got two guesses. Most pokemon are too big to go there or maybe he just wants us to prove ourselves. I dunno', it's a job one way or the other."

A few hours later they arrived at the cave. Instead of being in the side of a mountain, it was a rocky outcropping that led deep down into the ground.

"This is it." Phantom said. "They say there is a portal to the afterlife here."

"So, does that mean there'll be ghosts?!" Mystic said, visibly shaking.

"Wow, you really don't like ghosts do you? It's just a legend. Sorry if I spooked you. We'll be fine."

BLACK BLEAK CAVE BF1

They entered, the sunlight immediately fading away. They were quickly plunged into total darkness as they proceeded.

"I can't see a thing. Didn't you say you prepared for this?" Mystic whined.

"Yea, just let me..." The sound of him fiddling with the item box echoed into the distance. A couple seconds later, a brilliant flash shot out from him, illuminating the entire passage. The orb floated up from the box and rose. It dully impacted the ceiling, before moving back behind his left ear, where it remained floating, still giving off light.

"Cool! How the heck does that thing work like that?" Mystic said, totally awestruck. She couldn't help but stare at the bright ball, leaving spots in her eyes.

"I have no idea. It works and I'm fine with that." He looked up to see just how short the cave actually was. The rocky ceiling was only a few inches from his head. If there was a low hanging rock, he would have hurt himself. To either side, the walls were closer, more compact, than the usual passage ways they were used to. He shifted his stance before continuing on.

They had to duck and crawl a few times to proceed on, as the path widened and closed in randomly.

"What the..." Phantom muttered quietly. Up ahead, he saw something. His pace slowed down, and he adopted a lower stance, almost stalking forward. Mystic copied him, not asking any questions. As they got closer, he spotted a few pokemon lying in the hallway, four geodude, all lying face down. They closed in slowly, trying to remain silent. Once they were five feet away, he began to get curious. They should have spotted him by now. He held his paw out to the side, signaling her to stay put. He closed the gap, and reached out, lightly touching the boulder like pokemon.

"Are they dead? They aren't moving..." She asked.

"No, they're breathing. I think they're unconscious. Let's take advantage of it and get a move on." They carefully climbed over them, continuing further down the path. They continued walking for what seemed like an eternity, with no turns and no rooms.

"Kehehe..." A faint laugh echoed towards them.

"Did you hear that?" Phantom asked. She nodded and they assumed a sneaking speed, ears perked for further sound.

"I know, I know. You really didn't need to come rescue me." A masculine voice said.

"NO!" A feminine voice shouted. "You don't know! You keep doing this and screwing everything up. You just keep making more trouble, so stop rushing off ahead."

"She's right." A different voice said, this one masculine.

"And you shut up too!" The female yelled. "You're just as bad. Just because it doesn't go wrong as often doesn't make it not a problem." A smack echoed down the passage.

"Ow, damn girl. Calm down." The second male complained.

"Kehehehehe." The first one started laughing again before a second smack sounded out.

"Shut it, somebody's coming." The female said.

Phantom knew it was only a matter of time until they spotted his light. "Get ready. I think they're setting up an ambush." They proceeded ahead carefully, eyes peeled for anything up ahead.

They went on for about twenty seconds before anything happened. A chill shot through Mystic's body as a sloppy lick went down her back, stopping at the base of her tails. Her fur stood on end and she looked around frantically for the source. Phantom looked back. "What's up?"

"Something licked me! I'm still wet!" She screamed out.

He turned around and looked at her. He could plainly see her fur sticking up in a line down her back. A moment later, he felt a hand, with three fingers, grip his balls tightly for a moment before letting go. "Nice package~" A female voice whispered into his ear. His head shot over to look for the source, but his head smacked into the rock wall.

"Whoever's there, come out!" Phantom yelled. Between them, a purple figure rose out of the floor. They both leaped back in surprise, before taking aggressive stances, prepping sparks and flames.

"Relax. I'm not your enemy. You two look like a rescue team. Am I right?" The gengar asked.

"Yeah..." Phantom said cautiously.

"Great. So are we. So you can help us and we can both get out of here." He let out a chuckle. Phantom noticed that his blob like body was mostly in the floor, only his upper half sticking out. "Come on out guys."

From the wall next to Mystic, a banette stuck his head out. Next to Phantom, a mismagius emerged partially.

"So, how 'bout it? Wanna team up?" Gengar asked.

"Sure, why not. Why are you here?" Phantom responded.

"And how are you doing that?" Mystic questioned, pointed to their bodies sticking out of the wall.

"Well we're ghost types. Anyways, we're here to get an item from the end of this cave. It's tiring to faze through walls, but we can't proceed any further without doing it. You two look small enough so we'd appreciate the help." Mismagius explained.

"Alright, let's go." Phantom said, turning and beginning to walk.

"We'll just stay in the wall. It's easier that way. If something attacks, we'll back you up." Banette told them before all three vanished.

"So, that's what ghosts are like?" Mystic asked Phantom.

"Yep. Not so scary right? They're just known for being a bit mischievous."

"Yea, I feel much better."

They continued down the path without encountering any further resistance. After a long time, the path finally began to widen. They emerged into a large cavern. The ceiling and other walls were so distant that the orb's light did not illuminate them. Just ahead of them was a massive hole, dropping straight down into the earth. Phantom stepped closer, peering down into the pit. He could swear he saw something glimmer down there. Behind him, the three ghosts stepped into the open.

"Let us, darling." Mismagius said. All three flew forward and down into the pit. A short while later, they flew back up. The mismagius was holding a large golden object. While it was colored gold, it appeared to have a crystalline surface. "Got it!" She cheered in a singsong voice.

"What is that thing?" Phantom asked. Just after he did, a purple vortex erupted from the crystal, quickly growing and consuming all five pokemon.

Phantom blinked his eyes in confusion, finding himself in a very strange place. The dirt below him was oddly colored, almost orange. Above him, the sky consisted of a slowly swirling purple vortex. He looked around, finding himself on a small floating platform. In the distance, he could see more, floating in odd directions. One was even upside down.

He jumped when a loud roar suddenly pierced the silence. It was an eerie cry, almost sounding hollow. The sound faded away, leaving him in total silence again. His body quivered with a chill. Whatever that was, he did not want to find it. He did not see Mystic here, so his goal became very clear.

He wandered over to one edge, looking at closest floating island. Seeing no feasible way to get to it, he decided to experiment. He took a pebble in paw, and threw it. Halfway through the air, it shifted its downward arc, instead flying straight and hitting the island. He gulped, and leapt into the air.

He flailed wildly for a moment, before he felt gravity shift, instead focusing to the new island, causing him to fall straight at it. It had been at a 90 degree angle from the previous one, but with the new perspective, he felt as if he was on solid ground. He decided not to think about it much, for his own sanity.

While he was looking for the next spot to jump from, he heard a few explosions and that same ghostly roar. He looked around worriedly, but the smoke rising from the distance was too far away to see the cause. As he watched the plume rise, it shifted and warped, tracing strange lines in the sky as it was thrown around by the shifting gravity. He forced his fear down and began to hop from island to island, hurrying to reach Mystic. When he was only one jump away from the smoking area, having just performed a 180 degree flip in gravity, he saw them.

The three ghost types they had arrived with were lying on the ground, in a smoking crater. He took a soaring leap and landed next to them. "Are you guys okay?!" He asked.

"Get out of here, kid. We fucked up. We did bad. Kehehehe." The gengar said with a wheezy, very weak sounding laugh, that ended with a pained coughing fit. "Find some way out of here. And take this." He pulled out the golden crystal and handed it to Phantom. "Give it to Flare." He explained, while Phantom stored it away.

"I can't leave yet. I have to find my friend."

"Just leave her. That monster will kill you both if you don't get out now."

"What monster? That thing that keeps roaring?"

"Yes... Giratina, the renegade. Please, somebody has to survive." Gengar collapsed back down, lying flat on his back.

"But... where even are we?" Phantom asked. A few seconds later, he received no response. He grimaced and climbed back out of the pit. As he got out, another roar echoed through the dead landscape. Suddenly, a beam of shimmering purple blasted through the sky. It was massive, a house sized wave of energy, tearing through the sky. It kept going into the vortex shaped sky, until it got too far away to see. "Wow..." He muttered.

Now knowing the treat they faced, he hurried off. He hopped several islands, trying to spot her or hear her, or anything. Eventually, he saw an island with a large waterfall raining down into a lake below. If she was up there, she wouldn't be able to get down... It was a better bet than wandering around. He got to the lake, and began to swim in it. Once he got to the waterfall, he started to swim up it. Gravity seemed to fade away entirely, allowing him to swim straight up as if it was a gentle river. He eventually reach the top, cresting over the edge of the island. He was panting heavily from the lengthy swim. He stumbled out of the water and shook his fur dry.

"Phantom, is that you?" Mystic asked.

He bolted up straight, scanning the small island for her. There were some rocks, rubble, dead plants, a small pond that was the source of the waterfall, and little else. The water seemingly had no source, flowing out from nowhere.

"Please say something..." She begged.

"Yea, it's me. Where are you?"

A pile of rubble shook, and moved, allowing her to step out from hiding. "I hid once that thing flew by. Do you have a way out?"

"I got an escape orb." He dashed over to her, fiddled through the bag, and pulled it out. Before they could both place their paws on it, a gigantic dragon rose from below the island, staring right at them. It's grey and black skin was adorned with a golden trim. It let out its echoing roar and its mouth guard split. A massive beam shot out right at them just as they vanished from sight.

Phantom opened his clenched eyes a few seconds later to find themselves in front of the headquarters. "That was too close." He said weakly. He collapsed and rolled over to his side, trying to catch his breath. She was in similar shape.

"Get up." A voice said from above them. Flare swooped out of the sky and landed in front of them. "I've been waiting. Where are my companions?"

"They... We were attacked. They didn't make it..."

"Damn!" He growled. "Did you get the package?!"

"Yes." Phantom said, popping open the box. When he did, the crystal rolled out and onto the ground.

"Ah, the Griseous orb. Thank you. At least their deaths were not in vain." Flare said, picking it up. He took to the sky again. "Talk to Marie about your reward." He yelled down at them as he flew away.

"That was too close." Mystic said through her labored breathing. He was also still lying on the ground, trying to calm his racing heart. "I'm pretty sure we're still alive." He said, patting his face. Once he caught his breath, he got up and went over to her. He licked her ear and helped her up. "Let's go get our reward. Better be good..."

"Then, I'm taking a long bath." She muttered as they started moving.

They headed straight for Marie's room. "Yes? Ah, it's you two. I trust Flare sent you." She reached under her desk and took out a sack. She jiggled it, making the coins inside jingle. "All yours. And, I received orders from above to promote you to gold rank."

"Flare put us up two ranks?!" They both exclaimed.

"No. The order came from Hunter. I have no idea why, but I know better than to question him." She leaned over and dropped the small bag in front of them. "Enjoy your funds. If you ever need extra cash, Flare always is looking for help with his archeology."

Phantom took the top of the sack in his mouth and they left. From the heft of it, there was lots of poke inside. A short while later, they arrived back at their room. Mystic made a beeline for the tub and started the water, allowing it to warm. Phantom sat down on his bed and opened up their reward. Inside was a large pile of coins, but lying on top of it, was a tiny object, almost the size of a sticker. It was yellow and shaped like a star. Next to it was a note, saying "Put me on your badge, I will help you."

"Cool," Phantom said to get her attention. "Flare must not be so bad. Check this thing out." He said, while attaching the button to his rescue badge. It had an adhesive back, once again like a sticker, but it had more bulk to it. "It doesn't say what it does though. Oh yea, now that we're gold rank, we can teleport straight to dungeons."

"Great. Walking around all the time kinda sucks." She turned back and dipped her paw in the water, a chill running through her body. "Wanna join me?"

"Sure." He left the bag, removed both his badge and ribbon, and hopped into the tub. It wasn't cold, but not hot either. A short while later, it warmed enough, and she got in too.

"I was really planning on doing it tonight, you know. But close calls aren't very sexy."

"Yea... I'm still shook up. Speaking of ruined times, what are you planning with that thing?" He asked, flicking an ear to the hidden triangle on the other side of the room.

"I dunno, it's cool. I mean, how often do you find something from space?"

"It could be really valuable." He said, a twinkle in his eyes.

"No, it's my treasure." She said defensively.

"Maybe we should buy a safe then. I wouldn't trust the bank with something like that, and leaving it here alone isn't a good idea."

"That does sound good." She dunk her head down, shook it under the water for a moment and surfaced. "I still don't trust Flare. He told me it was a friend of his that wanted us to do the job. Then he tells you to go rescue his friends, and then we get an artifact for him. And why would he ask us? It makes no sense. I don't buy the convenience thing."

"I'm starting to feel that way too. Rescue teams aren't supposed to do their own jobs, especially paying for them. A pokemon in such a high place should be helping people, so why is he hunting artifacts?"

"Exactly! Promise me you won't let him boss us around anymore." She begged.

"Alright." They fell silent for a little bit, until she splashed some water at him with a mischievous smile. He returned the favor, leading to a splash fight, getting water everywhere. They eventually stopped when neither could stop laughing. His laugh was suddenly interrupted by a colossal yawn. "I'm dead tired..." He muttered, getting out of the tub and drying off. When he turned to go to his bed, there was a splash and he was pounced from behind.

He squirmed weakly, as he felt Mystic's breath on his head. She leaned down and gently nibbled on one ear. "I think I need someone to cuddle with tonight." She whispered.

"All right, just get off, your still soaked!" He whined, trying to wriggle out from under her dripping fur. She relented and allowed him his freedom. He dashed out from under her, dried off again, and lied down on his bed. Once she was dry, she dragged her bed over next to his and joined him.

She got onto the joined cloth padding and got close to him, pressing into his fur. He briefly got up, causing her to open her mouth to complain, but once he flipped off the light and came back, she stopped. He returned to where he had been, with their fur intermingling. He lied down, belly down and a few moments later, he felt one of her paws wrap around his back, and her tails drape over the both of them, forming a comfortable warm blanket.


	10. Chapter 10

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 10

Mystic awoke just as the sun was rising. She quietly went over to the window and peeked her head out around the curtain, admiring the twilight outside. She wanted to open the window and smell the fresh morning air, but she didn't want to wake Phantom. She turned away from the curtain, tucking it back against the wall with one paw to keep the light out.

She drew in a sharp breath, so as not to make any noise, when she saw him. He was lying on his back, with his jet black cock on full display. She unconsciously licked her lips and smirked as she tiptoed over to him. She would have liked to get in between his legs, but they were together, and she didn't want to risk waking him, at least not yet. She went to his side and leaned over his body. She stuck out her tongue and leaned in closer, aiming for the base.

There suddenly a thunk outside and she drew back, her head whipping towards the source outside. *No! Nothing is going to stop me this time!* She nearly yelled, but she managed to keep it inside. She looked back to him, and began to move in again. She almost made contact when she heard another noise, but this time she didn't stop to investigate. Her tongue made contact with his warm black flesh. It glided up his member, until she reached the tip, where she slurped up a tiny drop of pre.

She pulled her tongue, and the liquid on it, back into her mouth. The tasting muscle curled back over itself in an effort to taste as much as possible from the small amount she had gotten. She was completely engrossed with the flavor. She had been expecting it to be bitter, but it was actually mildly sweet. And now she wanted more.

She went back in, her licks steadily becoming more aggressive. Every time she reached the tip, she took a moment to enjoy the pre she found there. She stopped every once and a while and looked to see if he was awake, not that she planned on stopping if he was. His eyes fluttered a bit and his body twitched, but he never showed any signs of real consciousness.

Emboldened by her success, she leaned further in and took the tip into her maw. She lightly suckled on it, stifling a noise of pleasure at the taste. She slowly lowered her head, taking more and more of the lightly throbbing member in. She was careful to keep her teeth out of the way, sure that it would hurt him, but it was difficult with her small mouth. Once she was comfortable with wrapping her muzzle around him, she put her tongue into play. She wrapped and messaged his cock flesh before returning to the tip to lap up the pre gathered there.

Despite the lack of attention to her own growing needs, she was enjoying herself. She added a paw to the mix to play with his balls. The moment after she touched the orbs, they tightened and his member twitched. A moment later, cum shot into her mouth, filling it quickly. She flinched and pulled off, coughing a bit.

"Huh?" Phantom asked, the sound having woken him. "What's wrong?" He answered his own question when he looked up and saw her whitened fur.

She managed to clear her throat. "I'm fine, I'm fine." She let out a few more light coughs and some throat clears.

"So... that wasn't a dream? You really..." He said with a massive blush.

"I just sucked you off. No need to be so shy." She said. A paw came up, picked off a strand of cum, and moved it into her mouth. She murred exaggeratedly, causing his blush to deepen even further. "Are you gonna be okay? You look ready to pop."

"Yea... I had a dream where... yea..." He shook his head.

"Well, let's continue~" She purred. She went forward and licked his still prone face. A glob of sperm latched onto his fur, causing her to return to clean it off.

"Uhh... I don't think... I can..." He mumbled and looked away.

"Huh?" She asked. She looked down and saw that his member had retreated back into its sheath.

He let out a colossal yawn and laid back down. "I'm going back to sleep." He said before curling up.

"Wait! What about me!?" She asked desperately. It was too late however, and he was out cold. She let out a frustrated groan. She cleaned up her face, and curled up, licking at her vulva and using her paws in an attempt to get some sort of satisfaction. Before long, the need faded and her body calmed. She groaned again, giving up, at least for now, and returned to her bed.

They both awoke at nearly the same time later that morning. After morning yawns and stretches, they hopped in the bath.

"Did you have any _interesting_ dreams last night?" Mystic asked.

"Yea, how did you know?" He said, taking a deep breath to dunk his head into the water. She smiled in victory, sure she had him. "I had a dream about that thing you found. The triangle." Her smile vanished. "Somebody tried to steal it."

"I had the same dream yesterday. Must be nerves or something. Anything else?"

"Not that I know of..." He said, looking away.

"I think there is, maybe a wet dream?"

"Uhh w-w-why would you say that?" He said, trying to sound innocent.

"Well it wasn't a dream." She leaned closer, whispering right into his ear. "You taste delicious~" She went back to cleaning up for the day, but kept an eye on him to see his reaction.

The usual blush ran through his face as he shyly looked the other way.

"You know, I plan to have sex some time. Are you gonna survive that? I'm not sure your heart could take it." She teased.

He said nothing, continuing to hide in the corner of the tub.

"Whatever, let's get ready to go." She said, jumping out of the water. He soon followed her, still remaining quiet. "What's up? Really, we were going to actually do it a few nights ago."

"Do you promise not to get mad?"

"What? Why would I be mad at you?"

"Promise."

"Alright, I promise."

He took a deep breath. "It wasn't you in the dream. It was Marie. You know, the secretary lady."

"Why would I be mad? Dreams are dreams. I have weird shit running through my head all night." She said nonchalantly. "Maybe we should invite her sometime? You never know..."

He yelped in surprise at what she said. "Are you serious?!"

"Yep. Nothing wrong with a good threesome." She smiled cheerily.

"You are so... casual about..." His voice fell to a whisper. "Sex."

"Why not? Everybody does it."

They left the room and went down to the main hall. Once there, they went for the job board. While they were scanning the jobs, Hunter came up to them.

"Hello, Mystic, Phantom."

"Oh, hey Hunter." She said.

"We found something a little while ago, during the meteor shower. Maybe you could take a look at it?" Phantom asked.

"Of course. But I have something to ask you as well. Would you be willing to conduct an investigation for me?"

"Sure. What is it?" Mystic answered for both of them.

"Not here. Come with me." He motioned with a claw. He guided them towards the main office and opened the door. "Marie, could you come with me for a moment?"

"Certainly, sir." She said, setting down the papers she was working on and following them. Hunter took everyone up to the second floor, past the map room, and to his own office. He waved a paw to one side of the room, where several beanbag chairs sat. "Take a seat, get comfy." The two smaller pokemon and him sat there, while Marie went to desk and sat in the chair there. "Alright, down to business. I'm going to be honest with both of you. Are you sure you want to hear what I have to say? It could be dangerous for you."

Phantom didn't look so sure, but before he could say anything, Mystic shouted, "Yea, let's do it!"

"I appreciate your enthusiasm. So, a few years ago, we had a serious problem. There was a large group of well organized bandits called the Blade. They terrorized the rescue foundation and were responsible for many deaths. Marie, Flare and myself were among those who stopped them, thus putting us into our current leadership positions. One of the members of that gang was a typhlosion named Hearth. We saved him, as he claimed to want to escape, but based on your information, I suspect he has recreated the Blade. Possibly because he knew us, and what we can do, he has stayed quiet for a long time. I asked Marie to conduct some research." He motioned towards the mienshao behind the desk.

"Yes. I found that many pokemon have disappeared recently. But not in a coherent pattern. They have vanished from all over the continent, over a year long period. There is no discrimination between civilians and rescue teams. As such, there was no links and they were all treated as individual incidents. If Hunter is right, as he usually is, they are all from one source."

"Exactly. As for your task, I need you to investigate some pokemon I think are in on it. They likely have a liar of some kind in town. They would spot any of us coming easily. If you can get in, I can warp in and back you up. Understood?"

They both nodded.

"Good. Thank you for your help. You will be looking for a pair of sableye. Track them back to their hideout. While you do that, I'll go take a look at that thing you asked about."

"Alright, it's in our room." Mystic told him.

Hunter excused himself and made for the door. "Marie, would you like a break? I know how you like interesting things."

"I can't Hunter. You know how busy I am." She said sadly. She got up and followed him out the door, though their destinations were different.

"Ready to do this?" Mystic asked once the two larger pokemon left.

"I'm a little scared, but I'll manage. This sounds really important."

A short while later, the pair was exploring the town with eyes peeled. It wasn't until they entered the market that they spotted a suspect. There was a pair of sableye. Both were carrying a large box. Phantom and Mystic kept walking to avoid suspicion, and passed by them. Once they were a distance away, they turned back and began to trail the box carrying pokemon. The two sableye eventually stopped, set down the wooden box, and went into a shop.

The building they entered had large glass windows in the front, and many small knickknacks and oddities in sight. The large sign on the front read "Armaldo's Ancient Treasures". While they stood nearby, they looked at the stock inside. It looked mostly like toys. There were very few things that looked particularly valuable. Further inside, the two sableye were talking to a large armaldo, presumably the owner. After a few minutes, they came back outside and brought the box in, taking it further into the store and out of view.

"We've gotta get in there." She said.

"They don't seem that suspicious..."

"Only one way to be sure. We gotta find that crate." She told him, getting up and walking into the store. He rushed to catch up.

A small bell rang when they entered the door. "Hello there. How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a little something special. Maybe for my boyfriend." Mystic told him, tilting an ear in Phantom's direction.

"Ah to be young again." He mused. "I've got some wonderful things for a couple." He stepped out from the desk and began to scan through the shelves for them.

"What are you planning?" Phantom whispered.

"Just play along." She whispered back, right before the armaldo turned back.

"How about this?" He said, holding up a music box. He wound the handle delicately for having such a large claw. It began to play a soothing song, while the top popped open to reveal a mirror.

"I like it, but we're here for him today." She said.

"Ahh, I see." He turned back and sat it on the shelf. He stepped past them and went to the other side of the room. "This would look quite lovely on him." He said, holding up a black bowtie. It was covered in dust and had dulled to near grey.

"No, I'm thinking something more exotic." She looked around the store front. "I thought this was a treasure shop..."

"A lady of fine tastes I take it." He rubbed his chin with a claw. "I do have more... expensive wares. Do you have plenty of poke?"

"Of course. Money is not an issue." She said proudly.

"Very well, follow me." He stepped around them and headed for the back, past the front desk. He moved a curtain aside and allowed them to pass. "I keep all the precious things in the back. Safer that way. I'm sure you understand."

On the walls were many golden objects, mostly jewelry. The armaldo went over to one, pulling off two golden rings, one large, the other small. "I've got a golden collar and a golden tail ring."

"What about these?" Mystic asked. She approached and began to look through some of the merchandise. He joined her, talking about everything she touched. After a bit, her tails waved at Phantom.

He got the message and silently began to investigate. Past the pair there was a staircase, leading to the basement. He went down it as quickly and quietly as he could. Once down, he found himself in a bedroom of sorts. Past that however, was another door.

Back up top, armaldo turned around. "Where did your friend go?"

"He had to go to the bathroom. He'll be back soon. And he has no fashion sense anyways."

Phantom proceeded cautiously. There was no backdoor upstairs, so the sableye had to have come through here. He got closer and put his ear to the door.

"...New girls?" Someone inside asked.

"No new ones, but that don't mean much. We've still got a few waitin' for the next shipment, if you're thinking what I guess you are. They'll still be held though, they ain't fixed yet." Someone else replied.

"That sounds fine. You want some action too?"

"Nah, I'm good. Think I'll take a nap." A third voice said.

Phantom stepped away from the door and headed back for the stairs. As he went up, one of them creaked loudly.

"Huh?!" Armaldo asked. He turned around and looked to the stairs.

"Get him!" Phantom shouted from below.

Mystic drew in a breath, and was about to let out a flamethrower, but her brain told her to stop. They were in town and it could burn the whole building down. She choked the flames back and instead used extrasensory. The space around the armaldo twisted and morphed, but it lashed out, slapping her into the wall and breaking both her focus and several of the things on the shelves. The sound of breaking glass filled the room.

He rushed forward in a blur and slashed at Phantom, who was almost halfway up the stairs. He used his long claws to reach the shinx, but Phantom was able to dodge backwards. He lost his footing however and fell back down. Before he could get to his feet, he heard the heavy footfalls of armaldo coming down after him. He rolled a few times to get away and back up, but he hit the stone wall of the room. He felt a sudden rush of air and struggled to escape the incoming attack. A loud clang echoed through the underground room.

"%%%%%!" A loud noise filled the room. It sounded like a mix between static and beeping. Phantom looked up to see a strange red pokemon. It had two pairs of tentacle like arms, one red and one blue. A brilliant violet energy emanated from its body and shot forward. Armaldo was pushed back by it, roaring in pain. The pain turned to rage as he charged the unfamiliar pokemon. Its body morphed and the twin arms flattened. The new arms raised and blocked Armaldo's incoming attack.

The new pokemon parried after taking the brunt of the attack. Both of Armaldo's claws were forced to either side, leaving his chest wide open. All four flat arms launched forward and slammed into the exposed region. A sickening crack sounded out. The red pokemon stepped back, revealing a gaping hole in Armaldo's chest. Blood quickly began to flow, splattering on the floor. Armaldo had just enough time to look down, draw a ragged breath, then collapsed back.

"NO! Don't kill people!" Hunter shouted sharply.

"Hunter, who is that?" Phantom asked.

"This is... I don't actually know. I don't even know its species. It... well I'm going to presume he, seems incapable of speech. He... damn, it's uncomfortable to know so little. He came out of the artifact you found. He acts almost like a child, beside the incredible power."

"%%%%%%%%. %%%%." He buzzed in Phantom's direction. He pitched forward, his arms straightening out and curling around themselves. One of them morphed into a hand. The hand reached out and clutched Phantom, pulling him in close. Hunter grunted and raised his claw to protect the smaller pokemon, but stopped when he saw no intent to harm. Phantom struggled in surprise as he was lifted up, cradled in the hand arm, while the other wrapped around his back in a makeshift hug.

"Hunter, could you go check on Mystic? She's upstairs." Phantom asked the scizor. He nodded went up. A short while later, he returned, holding Mystic on his flat claws. He sat her down and began to pick the glass shards out of her back.

"Thanks Hunter." She said, wincing every time he pulled some glass out. "Who's that?" She asked.

Phantom turned his head, as he was still held tight. "Remember that triangle thing? He came out of that. Like an egg I guess. Hunter doesn't even know what he is. He needs a name, that's for sure."

"How about Zys (z-is)?"

"That's an odd name." Hunter commented from above her.

"I think it sounds mysterious. It fits. Zys, do you like that name?" She asked him.

"%%%%%." Zys nodded. He set Phantom down and came over to her, attempting to help. When he tried to pull out a particularly sharp piece of glass, he let out a pained noise and pulled away. His arm uncoiled, revealing a deep cut on one of the tentacles.

Phantom took out an oran berry and offered it to him. Zys looked at it curiously. While he did so, his cut tentacle flailed for a moment, before the wound closed on its own, without a drop of blood spilled. "That's amazing." Phantom said.

By now, Hunter had removed all the glass from Mystic's back. He ran his smooth claw down her fur gently, feeling for any remaining shards. Phantom came over and gave her the oran berry instead. With her body fixed up, Hunter stood and addressed them.

"Alright. You sure this is the place?"

"Yea, I heard voices past that door. They were talking about shipping some prisoners I think. Though they probably heard us by now."

Hunter nodded and stepped forward. He pulled back an arm and a steel sheen ran over the claw. He thrust forward, smashing through the door. The room behind it was filled with wooden boxes. At the end of the square room, was a large bulletin board with a door on either side. He stepped in, followed by the other three pokemon. He opened the lid of a crate and peered inside. "It's filled with berries." He picked one up. It was light green and teardrop shaped. The surface was covered with small bumps."What are these?" He wondered aloud. "I have never seen a berry like this." He split it open, a spurt of juice shooting out. The inside was a pink color, and in the middle was a large, red, heart shaped seed. He tossed it aside and continued shuffling thought he contents.

Phantom and Mystic approached the board and began reading some of the notes there. "5 to Furnace Town." "27 crates to Home." "9545654: Mature."

"What the hell are these?" Mystic asked.

"It looks like shipment records. But they don't have much of anything. Likely because whatever they mean is illegal."

Hunter approached from behind them. "We have the full power of the rescue federation at our disposal. We will find out everything we can." He stepped past them and approached the other doors. He opened the right one and looked inside. "Oh dear..." He said in shock.

Phantom and Mystic went to the other door and opening it. Inside, they found several shackles and chains attached to the wall. The walls were covered in scratches and the floor had several bloodstains of varying age.

"Bastards!" Hunter growled. "They were keeping prisoners!" He yelled. "Phantom!" His head snapped over to look at him.

"S-s-sir!" He said, intimidated by the intensity on the usually calm scizor's face.

"You said there were people in here. And there is only one exit, so where did they go." He stepped into the room and began tapping the walls. He stopped on one spot when he heard a hollow sound. He reeled back and smashed into the wall. This time, all that happened was a dent. He began to furiously pound at the wall in an attempt to break through.

"Hunter!" Mystic shouted. "Stop. You're going to hurt yourself."

He didn't listen or didn't hear and continued to attack. He let out an angry yell as his body lit up. His body grew several black armor sections and his claws grew to nearly twice their size. He attacked one more, but this time, he burst straight through the metal wall. It fell over and revealed a long passage way, leading deeper into the earth. His wings flared and he was about to start forward, when a rock rose up from the ground.

It shook violently as a purple mist came out. Hunter didn't care and charged it, slashing it with a claw. The mist shot back in and the rock fell motionless to the ground, as Hunter sped off down the tunnel, disappearing quickly.

The both of them looked on in awe. The whole thing had lasted only a few seconds before he was gone. "Well damn." Mystic said.

"He'll be fine." Phantom said. "We should head back and tell Marie about this."

"I see... That's not good. He shouldn't have run off alone like that. It's my own fault. I should have trusted his intuition." The mienshao put her head in her paws. "He always does this. He tries to act all official, but when things get bad, his emotions take over. He's tough as nails though. He'll show up just fine eventually. I'll gather up some trust worthy pokemon to investigate what you found in there. And who's that with you? A new team member?"

"That's Zys. He's our new friend." Mystic said. Zys buzzed happily in agreement.

"That's nice. I'll be sure to let you know when Hunter shows up." Marie said, waving them out with a bundle of papers."

They left and headed for the job board. It was barely noon, and they still had plenty of daylight left. "You sure you're good to go?" Phantom asked.

"Yep, I'm fine. Might be a little sore later, but you can give me a massage or something."

"Hey, got bad news."

"What now?"

"They raided one of our supply stops."

"Which one?"

"The antique shop. It connects to Mt Frostorm."

"Yes, I know. Damn. I had some stuff there. Have they started looking at things? How long ago was it?"

"Earlier today. We might have time to clean up before anything is found."

"Good, get on that."


	11. Chapter 11

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 11

"Let's get some lunch first." Mystic said.

"I'm fine with that." Phantom agreed.

They both headed for the lunch room with Zys still in tow. They got three meals, but when they went to pick them up, Zys stepped forward. Three of his four tentacle arms reached down, wrapped around the handles, and picked them up.

"Thanks Zys!" Mystic said cheerily. The trio went out and sat down at a table. It took Zys a few tries to properly sit comfortably on the stool. He set the food down and both Phantom and Mystic reached over and took theirs. Zys looked down at the box with a confused squint. "Here," Mystic said, reaching over and opening it for him.

He looked down at the food blankly before looking up and watching them both eat for a moment. Mystic caught this and tried to show him how it was done, holding the apple with her paws and slowly taking a bite. Zys repeated this, an arm morphing into a hand and lifting the apple to his face. He stared at it, before pushing it at his face. When nothing happened, he pulled it away and tried again.

They both saw this, but Mystic was the first to act. She got up and walked over to him, causing him to look down at her. She looked back up at his featureless face, save for eyes. "Uhh... Can you... make a mouth?" She opened her maw and pointed to show him what she meant. He closed his eyes in concentration before he opened them and shook his head. He let out a sad sounding noise. "It'll be alright. But how do you eat?" She wondered aloud.

"Maybe he gets food from sunlight. Grass types can do that." Phantom chipped in.

"Maybe." She said, going back to her seat to continue eating. They spent a few more minute eating until a pokemon burst into the room.

"Phantom! Mystic!" Hunter called as he ran in. He hurried over to them, now in his regular form. "Are you done eating? We've got work to do." He said urgently.

A short while later, all four of them were up in Hunter's office.

"First off, I apologize for running off like that. I followed the tunnel to another similar place at the base of Mt Frostorm. Here's the plan. You two are gonna go undercover and investigate. I'll give you enough funds to stay there for as long as you need to. Just like the place we busted, the other side had no information either. I already talked to Marie and she got some people to look over what we did find. So, I think the best way to discover more is to have the both of you look around. Mt Frostorm is pretty isolated, so odds are whatever was shipped there is still around. If you need anything, I'll give you a contact orb."

"Wait a minute. Isn't Mt Frostorm really far away? How fast were you going to have gone there and back by now?"

"Very. And I can use my badge to recall here from anywhere. Come to think of it, I'll allow that for your badges as well. And this is a very serious matter. If you want out, now is the time."

"No. These bastards need to be stopped." Mystic said. Phantom nodded in agreement.

"Good to know. And please, keep this between us. Tell no one, not even your fellow guild members."

"Why? Do you suspect someone here?" Phantom asked.

"Not yet. But I do not like risks. The fewer involved, the better. I trust you both already. They would never attack their own members, unless they were trying to get someone on the inside... Never mind. You two have been doing excellent so far. And Zys is trustworthy as he is. As for the job, contact orbs last many uses so let me know if anything happens."

"Any ideas where to start?" Mystic asked.

"No solid ones. I would suggest investigating berries. Maybe a local specialty shop. Of the materials I found out of both bases, many berries were included."

"Alright then. Wait, what about Zys? I don't think he should be travelling." She said.

"I can watch over him. He is certainly strong enough to protect himself. I'll make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." Hunter reassured her.

"Ready to go?" She asked Phantom.

"Yea, it'll be like vacation!" He said excitedly.

"Please take this seriously." Hunter said. "Actually, on second thought, be casual. Act like you're not in a rescue team. Come on, I'll show you how to work the map room."

"Oh yea, I've been meaning to ask about that." Phantom said.

They all went outside, to the center of the second floor. In the center was a large model of the continent while all around the room, a large map was painted.

"Just press your badge against where you want to go. You can use both the model or the floor for greater accuracy." Hunter stepped over to one of the three large mountains. "Here," he pointed at a specific spot, just outside of town. Phantom went first, pressing his badge against the spot for a few seconds, before he disappeared in a flash of yellow light. Mystic repeated the process.

She flailed briefly as her paws were momently suspended in midair, before she dropped a few inches onto the cold stone below. She looked around to see herself on a stone path, with snow on both sides. She quickly was torn away from marveling at the sparkling snow when she couldn't see Phantom. "Where are you?!" She yelled.

"Over here." He grunted. She turned around to find him coming towards her through the snow and his fur was covered in it. He was visibly shaking as well.

"Is it really that cold?" She asked, experimentally touching the snow with a paw. The snow immediately melted, causing her to flinch back. "The snow's cold but the air's not. Weird..."

He trudged over to her, while shaking out the snow from his coat. "You're lucky, being a fire type. You don't get hot, or too cold." He grumbled.

"But I can't really swim. Let's get you someplace warm." She said. Further down the path were several buildings, most with smoking chimneys. They headed forward and made it shortly after. Once in town, Mystic stopped a passing pokemon. "Excuse me, miss, where could we warm up?"

"New in town? You should probably go to the inn. It also serves as the town bar, so you can get some food as well as a place to say." She explained, pointing to a large nearby building.

"Thanks!" Mystic said, before they went for the building. Inside, they were met with a froslass behind the desk.

"How can I help you?" She asked in a melodic, almost haunting voice.

Behind Mystic, Phantom rushed over to the fireplace and sat down in front of it. There were two other pokemon in the parlor, sitting in chairs. "Could I get a room?"

"For two?" She asked, pointing at Phantom. Mystic nodded. "Two beds or one?"

"Two." She said. She wanted one, but went against it for his sake. If they did get experimental, they could always push them together.

"Amber?!" Someone asked from behind her, over towards the parlor. There was a hint of desperation in her voice.

Mystic turned to find a white pokemon approaching her. She looked similar, but instead of orange and red fur, her fur was pure white. "Do I know you?" Mystic asked.

"Could you lift you right leg?" She asked.

"Uhh..."

"Please!" The white vulpix shouted.

Mystic did so, and the other vulpix got close to inspect it.

"Sis!" She screamed, tears forming in her eyes as she lunged at Mystic, clutching at her.

"Who are you?!" Mystic asked, trying to escape her death grip.

"Don't you recognize me? It's Ashley, your sister. I know it's been a few months, but you couldn't have forgotten me!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Mystic saw Phantom approaching. "Maybe..." She said.

"She lost her memories, Ashley. I found her washed up on the beach in Journey town. Are you absolutely sure you've got the right person?" Phantom explained.

"Yes!" Ashley shouted at him. "I remember when my sister got that scar on her foot, and the sound of her voice! This is Amber, no doubt!" She turned her head back to Mystic. "Amber, did you really lose your memory?"

"It's true. But if we're sisters, why don't we look more alike?"

"I'm what some call an alolan vulpix. Sometimes when vulpix grow up in environments like this mountain, we become ice types instead of fire. The fur just comes along with it. So is that your boyfriend?" She asked.

A blush shot over his face. "Kinda." She said.

"Erhmm!" The froslass cleared her throat. "While I love family reunions, this is a business. Either take it to your room, or outside."

All three agreed and went to the newly rented room. Once there, the conversation continued.

"So what happened between then and now?" Phantom asked.

"Well, about two months ago, my sister, Amber, disappeared. I thought she was... I don't even know... and then she turns up today. Amber, Mystic? Which would you rather I call you?"

"Mystic. I've gone by that for a while now."

"So what brings you back home?"Ashley asked.

"We joined a-" Phantom stopped her by coughing loudly. "A farming group. Our mentor wanted us to come here and see how berries grow in the cold."

"Oh, that sounds fun."

"We should probably get to work." Phantom said, looking out the window.

"Can I help?" Ashley asked. "I'd love to spend some time with my sis, even if she doesn't remember."

"I don't know..." Phantom said. He opened his mouth again to continue, but Mystic intervened.

"Sure, why not. Know a good place to find some berries?"

"I don't know about berries, but we do have a farm here. Maybe Millie will know something. Follow me, she was on good terms with mom, so I'm sure she'll help."

Ashley led them back outside and down the street.

Along the way, Mystic asked something. "You said mom was... does that mean..."

"Yes... Everybody agrees that the grief did it. I thought I was all alone, but now you're back!" She said happily.

A short walk later, they arrived. The rear of the farm had several large greenhouses, in which many crops could be seen. Ashley led them up to the front door, and she rang the bell. A short while later, a miltank opened the door.

"If it isn't little Ashley, all grown up. And is that Amber?"

"Yep, she's back home! So Mrs. Millie, Amber and her friend came to town to learn about berries."

"Berries eh?" Millie said. "Not my specialty, I'm afraid. Berries grow best in rich, warm, and wet soil, so we don't grow any locally. Everything you'll find here was imported."

"Do you know where their imported from?" Phantom asked.

"Nope. I buy mine from the general store. They're a bit expensive, but my hubby loves 'em." She explained.

"Thanks, we'll go check that out." Phantom said.

After another short walk, Ashley guided them to the general store. The lights inside were off however, and the door was locked. "That's odd." She said. "The store's open all day. And Jim and his son are always around." She got closer and looked deeper into the window, with no luck. "C'mon, we can check his house." She led them around the back and up a staircase to the second floor. Once there, she rang the bell.

After about a minute of no answer, she got a defeated look. "Sorry guys. Looks like he's not home. Does that mean you'll be leaving?" She asked, a sad look crossing her face.

"We can stay for a while. We did come all this way after all." Mystic said.

"Yea, I don't see why not." Phantom said, trying to cheer up the other vulpix.

"Sweet! How about I treat you both to dinner?"

"I don't know what to get..." Mystic said, looking over the sizable menu of the local restaurant.

"I'd go for the grilled magikarp. It's so good." Ashley said, her eyes drooping in exaggerated elation. "Just try not to break my bank."

"We can pay for ourselves..." Phantom said.

Ashley shook her head. "Nope. Tonight, you're my guests and that means I'm paying for dinner. Now, how about some drinks?" She said, sliding over the menu, flipped to the alcohol section.

"No thanks. I'm not a fan of beer." Phantom said. She shifted the menu over to Mystic.

"Yea, I'm in the same boat. Maybe some other time." She said.

"Spoil sports." Ashley said, puffing out her cheeks. "I'll just get some for myself. Today's a day for celebrating!"

A short while later, and they all had something to eat. They exchanged idle conversation, filling each other in on recent events. The pair was careful not to reveal anything about being a part of a rescue team. Ashley, mostly due to her bubbly personality, dominated the conversation, and talked the most, much to Phantom's relief.

Once they were done eating, Ashley looked over to Phantom. "Could you maybe leave? Not to be rude, but I wanna talk to my sis alone."

"I don't know..."

"What? You don't trust me? I get it. We just met so you have no reason to, but I would never hurt my sister. Ever."

"Phantom, it'll be fine. I'll meet you back in the room." Mystic said. He looked at her, saw the seriousness in her gaze, and departed.

"So, Amber, sorry, Mystic..." Ashley started. "Hah... I don't even know where to start." Her voice hitched and squeaked. "It's been hard. Really hard. After you left, and mom died... dad spent weeks in shock. I had to go out and get a job. I'm in theatre now, an actor. Do you really not know anything about what happened to you?"

"No." Mystic said quietly. "Nothing at all. The last thing in my mind is waking up with Phantom. We've been helping each other out since."

Ashley lowered her head and put it in her paws. When she raised it again, there was a bit of wetness below her eyes. "It's so good to see you again!" She whined. "After spending the day with you, you're my sister, no doubts. Memory or no, you're still you. We've got to go visit dad tomorrow. He usually gets up early, so he's probably already in bed by now. So, let's talk about some more cheery stuff. What's the deal with Phantom? C'mon, spill the beans."

"I don't know for sure about our relationship. Friends with benefits maybe. We're not mates for sure. He's shy but kind."

"Yea, you're a good match. You always were a hot head. I remember how many times you got into trouble for fighting the neighborhood bully. So have you two..." She brought up both paws, one forming a circle and the other pointing at it.

"No, not yet. I want to, but it hasn't happened yet. I don't wanna force him into it either."

"That's a good mind set. I threw away my first time with a local boy. Next week he dumped me." She polished off the last of her second drink. "So can I stay with you tonight?"

"Sure, why not. We'll have a slumber party!" Mystic said happily.

"Yay!" She cheered. "First I gotta go home and leave a note, so dad won't worry." She hopped off the stool and headed for the door, a stumble in her step.

"You gonna be okay?"

"Yep. I love the cold." She smiled and left quickly.

"That's not what I meant..." Mystic mumbled. She got down and headed for their room. Once she knocked on the door, it was opened in a moment.

"So, what happened?" Phantom asked urgently.

"What are you, a schoolgirl? Nothing much happened. Just some girl talk. What's up with you?"

"I'm not sure. Doesn't it seem like a crazy coincidence? That we come here, and find your long lost sister?"

"You don't trust her?"

"Not entirely. Remember when we got sent off to find a nonexistent eevee? What if this is another trap?"

"She's no double agent. In fact, she's spending the night here."

"Alright... I trust you on this. But remember why we're here. This is way more important than us. We could save hundreds of lives."

"Yea, I know. She just seems so happy to see me again."

A short while later, there was another knock at the door, and Mystic went over to let Ashley in. She followed her in and joined her on the left most bed, leaving Phantom with his own. "So, tell me about life before. It might even remind me of something." Mystic said.

"Alright." Ashley settled down, getting comfy on the full fledged bed. It was a step up for them, as they had slept on cushions for a while now. They were still quite low to the floor, allowing them to easily get on and off. This was nothing new for her though. "We grew up together here in town. Both our parents were ninetales, normal ones. According to them, grandma was an alolan like me. Anyways, we grew up pretty normal, until you just vanished about two months ago. No word or warning, just gone."

"That's odd. I didn't find her until a month ago. So what happened between the times?" Phantom added.

"That is weird." She took a deep breath. "So, tell me why you're really here."

"What?" Mystic asked. "What makes you ask that? We're here to learn about berries, jut like we said."

"I'm not buying it. First of all, that doesn't make sense. We don't grow many berries here. It's mostly farm pokemon. Second, I can still tell when you're lying. You are pretty sneaky, but that only made me adapt."

Mystic looked over to Phantom. He grimaced back. "Alright." Phantom yelped and said something to try and stop her, but she continued. "We are a rescue team. And we're here on a job. But it's super secret."

"Really?! Cool! That's good enough for me!" She said giddily. "My sister is so awesome!" She cheered.

"Sssh." Phantom hissed. "Keep it down."

"Sorry. So is there any way I can help?"

"Not really. It's too dangerous." Mystic said.

"Actually..." Phantom said. He reached into the box and took out one of the berries from the hideout.

"Where did you get that?" Mystic asked.

"I grabbed one before we left, just in case. Anyways, Ashley, do you recognize this berry?" He set it down on his bed, and she crossed over to get a closer look. Like the one Hunter had found, it was a smooth green teardrop shape. She flipped it over, before picking it up.

"It seems familiar... but I can't remember the name... Avis maybe? Dammit, what the hell is it..." She turned it over a few more times, before shaking her head. "I can't remember. Sorry... But I'm sure I've seen them around here before."

"That's fine. It's something to go on. We'll go out and look around more tomorrow." Mystic said.

"And Ashley, I'm sorry, but you can't come with us anymore. It's too dangerous." Phantom informed her.

"Really? If it's that serious, okay. But let me fill you in on the town. So today, you've been to a small part of the town. This town used to be a small one, back in our parents days, but it's a lot bigger now. We saw one of the three farms, the general store, and the inn. The other points of interest are the town hall, which doubles as the school house, and the museum. They have stuff found from the mountain. And near the top, there's another village, but it's a lot smaller. They have a hot spring and spa. They host cave explorations and mountain climbing too." She took a deep breath. "Anything else you need?"

"I think that's good. Please Ashley, listen to us. You might get hurt if you try to help us too much." Mystic told her.

"I get it. Both me and dad have to work early in the morning so things will just be normal. I did promise him we would visit for dinner tomorrow though."

"That sounds nice." Mystic stretched out and yawned. "How about we hit the hay?"


	12. Chapter 12

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 12

They both awoke at around the same time. Mystic noticed that Ashley was gone. On the nightstand next to her was a slip of paper. "Mystic, have to go to work. New play next week. Hope you can stay for it." Below that was a sloppy smiley face. "See you later."

"So, where to first?" She asked.

"I think we should go for the town hall. Maybe we can find an encyclopedia of berries or an expert. But first, time for a morning bath." He jumped off the bed and went into the bathroom. She laid there for a moment, until she heard the water start, then she went to join him.

When she got past the curtain, she was surprised. The bath was actually a shower. "Wow," Phantom said. "Baths are nice, but it's been too long since I had a hot shower."

"So, Ashley mentioned something. When are we gonna take our relationship further?"

"Why do we always talk about serious stuff in the bath?"

"Don't try and dodge the question. What happened to that loving Phantom from a while ago?"

"We've just been so busy. I don't really feel like... you know. How about this? I promise, no matter what, after we finish this job, I'll do whatever you want."

"Alright. I know how stressful things have been recently too, but having each other makes it easier." She stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek. "I may have told you sex is no big deal, but the relationship it causes is. It's a way for us to show how much we love each other, so don't be so worried about it. You can't really do anything wrong."

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better. Maybe I'll have to return the favor." He said, obviously forcing it.

She laughed and kissed him again in the same spot. "You're a cutie." She said teasingly. "We should get ready to go in that case."

A short while later, they were dried off, and headed out into the chilly morning air. They wandered the streets, heading north. The inn was on the edge of town, so there was really only one way to go.

"I think that's it." Mystic said, pointing over at the clock face situated in a large building. As they headed for it, they passed many other large buildings. Most of them were too big to be houses. "How many important places did Ashley mention?"

"Like six."

"So what are all these?"

"I have no idea. I really hope we don't have to go through the whole town. That'd take forever. It's kinda weird. In all the books I read, this place was always pictured as a quaint little mountain town. I guess business is booming."

"Yea, I know. I don't get why, but it kinda bugs me." She was about to continue, but a loud DONG rang out from the clock tower. It rang a few more times, Mystic counting aloud with it, to eleven. They reached the entrance just as the ringing stopped. Once inside, Phantom stopped to read the directions inside.

"Library, this way." He said, pointing to the right. They walked down the hall and enter the marked door. Just inside, they were met with an abra behind a desk.

"How can I help you?" He asked.

"We were looking for someone to help us identify something." Mystic explained.

"My father is the head librarian, and the main teacher for the school, but...Today's the reading fair, and he'll be busy all day. The library is open late, so if you come back later tonight, I'll tell him you stopped by."

"In that case, is there an encyclopedia of berries around?" Mystic asked the abra.

"Yes, but once again, you are out of luck. It is located in the same place as the reading fair, and only students and parents are allowed in."

"Oh, we'll come back later then. Thanks for the help." Mystic said. They turned and left.

"Well now what?" Phantom asked. "Wait, I know. Let's find a private place."

Mystic raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning?" She asked.

He led her down a hall, peeking in windows and doors until he found an empty classroom. He slipped in and shut the door behind her.

"Doing it in a classroom? I never thought you would be so kinky." She mumbled while looking around the room.

"Huh?" He asked, genuinely confused. She turned around to find him taking an orb out of the box. He set it down and pressed his paw against it. It flashed dully and rhythmically for a few seconds, until it stayed solidly lit.

"Hello?" A voice came out of it.

"Hunter, it's us. Are you ready for our report?" Phantom asked.

"Yes, go ahead."

"We arrived just fine, but we haven't found out anything conclusive. We've been looking into the berries but the owner of the general store is missing and the library is busy."

"That sounds good. Find where the berries are going, and what they are being used for. The general store is on me. The other end of the tunnel is under there and I arrested the owner. You're welcome to go down there and look around. On our end, we've got people investigating. The place was definitely used to hold pokemon captive. And we identified several of the berries. Most of them were common berries, oran, leppa. There were a few painkillers and berries that induce unconsciousness, all fitting with keeping prisoners. There a few unidentified ones, including the one you have. I suspect them to be artificial. We did contact a specialist, but they are a few days away."

"Artificial berries? Aren't all berries grown naturally?" Mystic asked.

"Not exactly. There are hundreds of strains of berries, many used medically, but some are spliced together to create new mutant berries. Most of them are illegal due to the severe side effects. One of the common ones is a mix of oran, sitrus and several other healing berries. It causes temporary euphoria, but leads to addiction and organ damage. If you suspect any berries, do not eat them."

"We know. I remember all the lessons about drugs from school." Phantom said.

"Good. As another area of interest, find out about any missing persons. If they are moving captives, it is likely they would move them away from the population centers. The mountain is isolated enough that a sizable base could be located there."

"You certainly sound like you know a lot about this." Mystic said.

"I should. The organizational style is very similar to the Blade. The methods are very different though. The Blade robbed and killed, not kidnapping. I am certain Hearth is using the some of the same tactics as the Blade, but with a different goal. They used to have a base on Mt Throned, until we destroyed it, so it would not be a stretch to assume they built a similar facility there. It is the only other sizable mountain after all."

"If you think all this, why don't you just go attack?" She asked.

"You do not understand what it took to stop the Blade. The entire rescue federation had to work together to stomp them out. It took an army of hundreds of pokemon working together to destroy their fortress. To gather those forces, and then run into a dead end, would be a disaster. It was pokemon just like you that made it possible before, so I'm hoping you can do it again."

"We will." Phantom said.

"Wait!" Mystic said quickly when he reached for the orb. "What about Zys? How's he doing?"

"I do not know. He is difficult to read, but he seems sad. I found him sitting in the map room early this morning. Other than that, I have seen him out in the yard. He should be fine." Hunter reassured her.

The orb went dull and Phantom returned it to the box. "Well, we have quite a while so..."

"We still have to go to dinner with my family tonight, so, hmm. We should wait for the teacher. He should know plenty about the town, then we can go from there. I guess we can just wait around till tonight. Oh, why don't we go see Ashley perform."

"I can understand you wanting to reconnect with you family, but don't let it distract you from why we're here." He saw her face twist into a scowl. "I don't mean it like that. You heard what Hunter said, he's relying on us. We have to stop the Blade, or they will hurt tons of pokemon."

"Yea, I know... but that doesn't mean we have to suffer. And I don't wanna hurt her feelings. Let's go."

A short exploration later, they found the auditorium. "This place is a friggin maze." Mystic complained.

"It seems like it used to be like the town hall, until they changed it to a school. The building is completely different on this side."

They entered the dark room, immediately hearing old timey music. The chairs were mostly empty, save for a small group of people at the front. On the stage were several pokemon, including Ashley. She was wearing a cape made to look like a gardevoir's dress and prancing around with a poochyena. The play was obviously a musical, though the speakers providing the instrumentals, located in the rear of the room and right next to the pair, were too loud for them to hear the pokemon on stage.

"Wow, this looks really stupid."

"I think it looks beautiful." Mystic retorted.

"Just promise me you'll never do that."

She chuckled lightly. "Fine, as long as you never wear a bowtie like that." She said, pointing to the poochyena.

"What's wrong with it? It looks exactly like my ribbon." He said, pointing to the yellow ribbon on his ear.

"It matches your ears, firstly, but it's out of the way. And it doesn't make you look like a dork."

The conversation died down and they quietly watched the show. Phantom was amazed, not with the play, but with the performance. He had never seen a four legged pokemon try to do a dance meant for an upright one, but Ashley was making the most of it. Mystic was equally enthralled, for different reasons. She had never seen such a thing before, at least as far as she knew. The dancing, the singing (when she could hear it), the dresses, it was all some sort of magic, a window into another world.

While they watched, Mystic's tails took on a mind of their own, snaking around the chain and behind him to wrap around his back. He looked over to her, silently asking why. She looked back and just smiled. She would have leaned into him, but the arm rests that separated the seats prevented that.

After about an hour, the practice came to an end. The audino that was the instructor stood and clapped. "Great work, everyone. Just one more week to show time. Remember to rehearse your lines at home. See you all on Wednesday!" All the pokemon on stage went to either side and out of view to backstage. A few minutes later, Ashley came walking down the aisle towards the exit.

Mystic whistled as she passed. She looked over and squinted. "Mystic? Hey! Did you come to see me!?" She said, giddy with excitement.

"You were great!" Mystic said, mimicking her excitement.

"How about we go home? Dad won't be home for dinner for a while so we can just hang out."

"We do need to meet with the librarian..." Phantom said.

"Oh yea, the reading fair. It doesn't end till around five, and the library stays open till midnight sometimes. You'll make it fine." She led the way outside and into the streets. They followed her to a small cottage like house on the edges of town. "Here we are, home sweet home." She said, wiping off her paws on the door mat as she stepped inside. "So what do you wanna do?" She was met with blank gazes. "How about some video games?" She guided them into the living room.

"Wow, it's been so long since I've seen a TV." Phantom said when he saw it.

"This one's kinda old." Ashley said, going over to it and turning it on. She reached beside it and turned on the game console next to it. "The newer ones are flat."

"What is all this?" Mystic asked.

Ashley looked back and raised an eyebrow. "I guess you wouldn't know... check this out." She said. She took a controller from the floor and sat down, her white tails fanning out behind her on the floor. The room was plenty large enough to seat all of them comfortably.

Mystic turned her head to examine the room while Ashley set up. It was mostly bare, save for the TV, a fireplace, some mats on the floor, and a few pictures on the wall. Most of the pictures featured two ninetales, a vulpix, and a white one, obviously Ashley. There was even a single picture of each vulpix, each with a name banner across the bottom: Amber and Ashley. "Mind if I start the fire?" Mystic asked.

"Yeah, go ahead. I can't anymore, cuz all I can do it ice." Ashley mentioned.

Mystic crossed the room and spat a small ember into the logs, which quickly grew into a crackling flame. She swung the grate closed and basked in the radiant warmth for a moment before returning. The TV screen was quickly filled with vibrant colors and motion. "What is this?" Mystic asked, staring in awe at the TV.

"It's Laira Lopunny: Dungeon Raider. Probably not as cool as actually doing it."

"That's awesome!" Mystic said, smiling wildly.

"It's not that impressive. Besides dat butt. I mean look at that thing. I wish I had an ass like that." Ashley said, spinning the camera around the virtual lopunny.

Phantom wasn't too impressed by the game. He had played them back when he was little, but hadn't since he moved out. The ones he had were a lot more primitive, but still fun. Mystic was in the exact opposite boat. She was amazed by what she saw.

They were content to enjoy each other's company for about an hour. Eventually, the door behind them opened. Ashley hopped up immediately, leaving the game running, and hurried over to the door. "Hey Dad!" She cheered.

"Well hello to you to." A masculine voice said. It sounded weathered and a bit gruff, but had kindness behind it.

"Guess who's here!"

"Is she really?!" A ninetales came around the corner and into the room. His mouth dropped open. "Am...Amber..." He said quietly. Tears began to well up in his eyes and he rushed forward, nuzzling her neck. "It's really you..." He whispered. She could feel wetness on her fur. "I can't believe this... Do you really not remember me?" He asked desperately.

"No, I'm sorry." She said. "Are you my father?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm your daddy." He took a hitching breath. "I wish your mom could be here." He drew back. "I'm sorry. This must be making you really uncomfortable."

"No, it's fine. I understand how you must feel." Mystic reassured him.

He stopped for a moment to regain his composure. "And who's this?" He asked, a tail pointing at Phantom.

He opened his mouth to talk, but it was dry and only a small noise came out.

Mystic covered for him. "That's Phantom. He's my friend."

"Oh, that's nice. Phantom, I'm Day." He said, extending a tail in place of a paw. "Would you help me put the pizza in the oven?"

Phantom tapped the tail and followed Day around the corner, through the dining room and into the kitchen. "It's in the freezer, could you grab it while I warm the oven?"

"Sure." Phantom said nervously. He reached in, found the frozen pizza box and took it out. When he turned he was face to face with a ninetales, teeth bared.

"I swear to Arceus if you hurt my daughter-" He growled.

"Dad! We can still hear you. Phantom's a nice guy! Lay off." Ashley yelled from the living room.

"Sorry." He called to her. "She may not remember me, but I still love her. You treat her right, or deal with me." He threatened, a tail pointing at himself.

"DAD!" Ashley snapped at him.

His tails came out from behind him, took the pizza, deftly unwrapped it and popped it into the warmed oven, all without leaving a hair on it.

He walked back into the dining room and sat down on one of mats, next to the low table, leaving the stunned Phantom in the kitchen. A little bit later, he left out the other door, and into the main hall. Towards the rear of the house were a few more rooms, but he turned the other way, and turned into the living room. He did a double take when he found Mystic and Ashley missing. He turned the other way and joined them in the dining room.

Ashley had taken the seat next to her father, allowing Phantom to sit next to Mystic.

"Dad, you really need to chill out with boys." Ashley said. She turned back to Mystic. "He scared my last boyfriend away with that."

"I worry about you girls. Boys are nothing but trouble." He grumbled. "Now Amber-"

"She goes by Mystic now." Ashley interrupted.

"Mystic. I'm sorry to have to bring up heavy stuff like this, but I need to get to the bottom of things. Do you remember anything at all?"

"No. Nothing." She shook her head.

"The last time I saw you, was two months ago. You just vanished one day. No idea what happened, none at all?"

"I woke up in Journey town, and Phantom rescued me. That's my earliest memory."

He closed his eyes and sighed. "Two months might not seem like a lot, but it has been..." He shook his head. "If your mother was still..."

Ashley smacked him with a fluffy tail. "Dad, relax. We're supposed to be happy! She's home!"

"I know, she's alive!" He cried out, tears beginning to flow again as he was beaming with happiness. The oven beeped loudly, causing him to get up and leave the room. The sound of sniffling and throat clearing could be heard from the kitchen, until he came back, carrying the pizza on the pan, and with several paper plates, all held in his tails. "I'm sorry for being so emotional. It must be weird for you to see a grown man cry like that."

"I should be sorry for making you feel like that." Mystic said, sounding downtrodden.

"Oh dear... Don't say that. You were always a good girl. I'm sure whatever happened, it wasn't your fault. That's enough of that. Let's eat like a family again." He said, brandishing a knife and cutting the pizza into slices. He passed them out on plates and everyone dug in. "So Mystic, what have you been up to?"

"Well, Phantom and I are working for a botanist as his apprentices. He sent us here to learn about berries in cold weather."

"That sounds like fun. Speaking of cold, why don't you stay here tonight? It's supposed to snow." Day said, licking the pizza sauce off his lips.

"We can't... After this we have to go to the library, and we already paid for our hotel room." Mystic explained.

"Oh, that's fine, I understand. Just make sure you be careful out in the storm. It was already starting to snow when I got home."

Dinner continued on with idle conversation until the large pizza was completely gone.

"That was delicious. Thanks for the food." Phantom said.

Mystic agreed and they got up. "We've got work to do, so we'll see you later."

"Now hold on just a second." Day said, getting up and circling the table around to them. "I understand you have your own life now, so I won't ask you to stay. But I will ask you to remember you have a father that loves you." He lowered his head and kissed her cheek. "I'll always be here if you need me."

"Thanks, dad." She said, kissing him back.

"You're gonna make me cry again." He whined. He stepped away and walked into the hall, towards the back of the house.

"Thanks for coming Mystic." Ashley said. "You just made his day. I'll let you two get back to work now. Make sure to stop by if you need anything else. The door's always open."

Phantom nodded. "C'mon, we need to go."

"Careful out in the snowstorm!" Ashley shouted after them as they headed for the door.

A cold blast of wind immediately hit them once the door was open. Along with it came a puff of snow. They both exchanged a look of worry, before heading out.

They dashed through the snow as quickly as possible at first, but the resulting heavy breathing was freezing their lungs. They slowed down, trudging through the building snow, and huddling close together. Mystic stepped away from him for a moment, and he felt a tinge of jealousy when he saw what she was doing. She had curled her tails backwards, wrapping them around herself in a makeshift cloak. She came back in, providing her fire type warmth to him, but they were both still shivering.

Up ahead, through the dark night, they saw a lit building. "C'mon, let's go!" Phantom shouted through the howling wind. He sped up, leaving her side to reach the door of the building. She hurried to catch up and they both made it out of the wind, protected by the building.

"Wait, what's that noise?" She asked. Phantom perked an ear, hearing only the wind. The whistling sound died down for a moment, and then he heard it: a thumping sound, almost like music.

"I dunno, somebody must be doing something inside." He said, pushing open the door. Loud music blasted out along with some welcome heat. They stepped inside to an unfamiliar entry room, lit with purple lighting. "What the..."

"Uhh, we're in the wrong place." She said, pointing to the sign. "Tempting Vixens" It read. On the logo was a voluptuous delphox, pressing her covered breasts together. "Looks like a strip club."

"How do you know what a strip club looks like? Or even what that is?" Phantom asked suspiciously.

"I have no idea. I just kinda do." She folded her tails back again. "Back out into the cold!" She said sarcastically, stepping back outside.

"What does it feel like for you?" He asked.

"What, the strip club?"

"No, the snow!" He said quickly. "Your body should be hot enough to melt it on contact, but melted ice is water, so..."

"It kinda... itches? It feels kinda like when you leg falls asleep, that tingling feeling. It's pretty uncomfortable, but it doesn't hurt too bad. Let's just get to the damn library." The light of the large clock that adorned the front of the school city hall combo came into view. They both picked up the pace and made it shortly.

Once inside, they both ended up shaking the snow and water out of their fur. All they really succeeded in doing was getting it all over each other.

"Gimme a second." Phantom said, shivering violently. He lowered his head and breathed hot air onto his paws.

"Hold still." She said. He turned his head to see her just in time to spot her breathing out a small bit of flame and holding it near his fur.

"Uhh, you should probably stop." He said.

"Shush, I'm helping you out, just hold still. I don't wanna burn you." She boosted the flame and heat, moving it around just shy of his fur.

"No, seriously, you need to stop!" He said, whapping the side of her face with his tail.

"OW! What the hell!?"

"Sorry, but... look." He said, pointing up at the ceiling. There was a dome shaped device, with a light on it.

"What is that?"

"I thought so. It's a smoke detector. If you set it off, with smoke for example, it sounds an alarm and the sprinklers would go off."

"That sounds bad, but why couldn't you just say that?" She said, rubbing the side of her face.

"I don't know... Sorry."

"It's fine I guess. It didn't really hurt." She turned away and began walking down the hall, followed shortly after Phantom. She turned at the right door and entered the library.

"Hello." An aged voice said. She turned her head to find an alakazam behind the desk. "You're out quite late. How can I help you?"

"So we were in here earlier and asked about some berries. We got told to wait until later to see someone. Is that you?"

"Yes, I know quite a bit about berries. Let me see it."

Phantom stepped past her, took out the berry and set it on the desk.

"Hmm, let me see." He said, putting down the spoon in his hand and picking up the berry. He turned it over a few times before standing up and looking down at them. "How old are you both?"

"I'll be seven in a few months." Phantom said.

"Same for me." Mystic said, obviously lying.

"Alright then. This is an Avos berry. It is artificially created for sexual encounters. It heightens pleasure and stamina, and serves as a contraceptive for both genders. I would not recommend using it. Young love should be pure, wait until you're both adults to experiment. However, I am here to educate, not judge." He handed the berry back down to Phantom. "Be careful with that." He sat back down. "Anything else you need?"

"Yea, could you tell us about any crime or stuff, like missing people?" Mystic asked.

"That's an odd combination of interests. Yes, I do remember a few. A few months ago, a vulpix girl went missing. There were several more cases before that, but it seems to have tapered off in recent times. The authorities were never able to track any of them down sadly. I believe there were about twenty cases in the past thirty years. Does that answer your question?"

"Mostly. Is there like a database or something we could look at? Something with more details?"

"Yes, but the access to that is restricted."

Phantom looked back at her and she nodded. "Here," He took his badge out and put it on the desk.

"Is this real?" Alakazam picked it up and examined it closely. "I see. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask. And I will assume you would like this kept between us." He stood and stepped out from behind the desk. "Follow me." He guided them through the short shelves of books to one of the rear walls. He took a key ring off of his belt, slipped off one of the keys, and gave it to Phantom. "This will let you into the police section. You'll find all the records of crime inside."

"Why is this place in a library?" Mystic asked.

"This building used to be the town hall, until the original school burned down. We then converted this building into it, expanding while still keeping the original design. Now it serves as both." He closed his eyes in contemplation briefly. "If you need anything, I'll be at the front desk." He departed, quickly darting between the rows to return to the entrance as quickly as possible.

"Well, this is good." Phantom said, sounding a bit nervous.

"It's perfect! We can get everything we need in here!" She stepped forward, took the key from his paw and opened the door. "Best get comfortable, we're gonna be up late tonight!" She said, excitement clearly in her voice. "Think of everything we could learn!"


	13. Chapter 12B

Hunter the Scizor

Flare the Charizard

Marie the Mienshao

PMD - Explorers of Memories

Chp 12B

"Here we go. Ready?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Hit it. Let's do this."

A moment later, the ceiling burst in, three pokemon dropping in after the rubble: a scizor, a charizard and a mienshao. The scizor dashed forward, smacking aside two machoke who were stunned by the sudden explosion.

"We need to move fast!" Hunter yelled after his comrades. He smashed his way through a door and into the hall beyond. Marie and Flare were quick to catch up, and they split up to clear each room.

They went through, systematically knocking out every pokemon they came across. They met up again in front of a large metal door.

"Hunter, help me push this open." Flare growled. With their combined might, the door began to budge, but it didn't move enough. It was locked.

"Hyaa!" Marie yelled as she flipped spun through the air, hitting the door low with a foot and high with a punch. There was a metallic snap on the other side as the locks broke from the force. With a loud grinding, the doors slid open.

Outside, two large forces of pokemon were battling on the rocky mountain. To fit the war like battle, thunder rumbled in the distance, a herald of the coming storm. Bodies littered the field as casualties piled up.

The doors opened enough for the trio to get through. Inside, they found what seemed to be a storeroom, filled with boxes. In the center of the room was a large aggron. He turned around, a red gleam in his bloodshot eyes.

"YOU!" He roared. His arm shot straight out and clasped the air. A honedge floated out and into his hand. With colossal steps, he charged forward, horns bared.

Hunter leapt into the air, fluttering his small wings for extra height. He made it over the aggron, spun in midair and swung his claw back with bone crushing force. The attack bounced off the aggron's armored skin. "Marie, Boss is all yours!" He shouted to the mienshao.

"Got it!" She shouted back. She went into the charge, slipping in between his sharp horns. She used his head as a foot hold, and brought a paw down for a powerful smash, but Boss swung his head, launching her into the air. She acrobatically maneuvered, kicking off the ceiling and falling down with a high jump kick. Boss raised his arm, bearing the sword pokemon. Her foot impacted it, all the force being nullified by the ghost type. She kicked off once again, escaping the retaliatory swing off his other arm.

"Blast Burn!" Flare roared, raising his tail in front of his mouth. He breathed out a massive wave of fire towards the aggron. The ocean of fire cascaded into him and a weak cry sounded out from the honedge. Out of the flames, Boss emerged, heading straight for Flare. He was exhausted from the sheer power of the attack and was unable to dodge. Boss lowered his head and rammed his horn nose right into Flare's chest. The two upper horns scraped past him, not impaling anything.

Flare grunted loudly, blood dripping from his maw. Boss drew back, revealing the gaping wound in the charizard's chest. As he drew back, honedge flung out of his hand and slashed towards Flare's face, cutting off one of his horns.

"BASTARD!" Marie screamed wildly as she charged Boss, using her entire body as a weapon to strike at him, the sound of crunching steel echoing with each impact. She finished with a powerful whip like strike from her arm fur. The attack was strong enough to push the aggron back, causing him to wobble from the pain.

He turned his gaze to the mienshao now, rage filling his eyes even more. He took one step forward but stopped when he felt something around his head. From the corners of his eyes, he could see red shell, that of Hunter.

"Master!" Honedge screamed as it swung through the air, trying to get Hunter off. His other claw shot up and caught it mid swing. Hunter's eyes were wild and his breathing ragged. Without a word, he clamped down, snapping the sword pokemon in half. He began to close his grip on Boss' head. The aggron struggled, attempting to reach back, but his stubby arms were not long enough. Hunter felt his weight begin to shift backwards and went into action. With all the force he could muster, he clamped down hard and swung his other claw down in a fearsome brick break attack. He felt bone crack under the swing, and with the integrity compromised, the other claw crushed the remainder of Boss' head.

His body shook weakly, before falling back slowly. Hunter had enough time to get out from under him, before he came crashing down.

"Flare! Flare! Please, say something!" Marie cried out, kneeling next to the wounded charizard. She reached back and into the box on her side, taking out a handful of sitrus berries. "Here, eat." She urged.

Flare groaned and weakly munched on a couple of them. The flow of blood slowed, but he was still severely wounded.

"H-h-here." A meek voice said.

Marie looked up to see a shaking quilava come out from behind some boxes, holding an odd berry. Flare turned his head and drew in a deep rattling breath.

"No, that's enough." Hunter said, stopping him.

"But... he..." Flare started.

"No more blood needs to be spilled. It's over." Hunter stepped towards the quilava, who visibly flinched. "We're not going to hurt you. What's your name and what is that?"

"I-I'm Hearth. This is one of the berries we made, it will save him."

Hunter reached out to take it with a blood soaked claw, reconsidered, and used his other one instead. He took the berry and quickly put it into Flare's mouth. Flare grimaced and swallowed it. The wound on his chest stopped bleeding and quickly began to close. It seemed like a miracle when all that remained was a bloody scar.

"Marie, stay here. I'll go find someone." Hunter said, rising and headed for the exit. He went out and navigated the halls. As he went, he passed a few other pokemon, who flashed their badges to him. He did the same, and they rushed past, continuing to clear the remainder of the facility. He found his way out and ended up looking out at the battlefield.

"Oh Arceus." He said to himself. The rain had started, leaving red rivers flowing through the rocky terrain. Many bodies littered the ground, and the surviving members of the Blade were tied up after having surrendered. "We did the right thing." Hunter reassured himself. "Didn't we..."

Hunter bolted upright from his bed. He drew in a few deep breaths and turned to the window, seeing the sun coming over the horizon. He sighed, rubbed his face with his claws, and got up to go for his morning walk. He exited his room, passed through his office, and into the map room. "Zys?" He asked. The deoxys was sitting in the center of the room, leaning against the model with closed eyes. He walked over and knelt down next to him. "Do you miss them?"

"%%%" He groaned. Hunter could not decipher the noise, but he could sense the sadness.

"They'll be back soon. If I talk to them, I'll let you know how they're doing." Hunter rose and walked down the stairs and out to the front of the base. He took a deep breath of the morning air and exhaled slowly. "Not again."


	14. Chapter 13

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 13

"Look at this. Alakazam had it mixed up, it was thirty disappearances in twenty years."

Phantom joined her next to the documents she was reading. "Wait... look." He pointed at the main list of names and case numbers. "There's a spike five years ago." Sure enough, five years ago, the number of missing persons went up to nearly ten in one year. This continued for another year, until it sharply dropped, even lower than before, to where there was a two year gap of nothing. But after that, they started cropping up again, slightly more than before, at two to three a year.

"Hmm, how about you look at the general store owner? Hunter said he was in on it. I'll look over these."

He nodded and returned to the other desk in the room. He opened one of the filing cabinets and began to look for anything. "Ah, got a murder here." He said. He took it out, set it down and began to read. "Three years ago, the original owner of the general store was found dead, along with his entire family. So that means that the guy Hunter got was new."

"And he moved in just before the disappearances started again. Makes sense." She added.

They both remained silent for a while, only the sound of flipping papers in the room.

"Hey, I found some town documents. I'm gonna look over them."

"What's stuff like that doing in the police area?"

"I have no idea. But I'm still gonna check them out."

He flipped through the files, looking at the headings. "Buildings, residents, business, Blade, Deaths, Births,"

"Wait, holy shit!" Phantom exclaimed. "There's a section on Blade! Jackpot!" He pulled it out and slammed it down on the desk, nearly tearing the folder in his fervor to open it. "It looks like details on the organization, mostly how they were stopped. What was your dad's name?"

"Day, why?"

"He was part of the pokemon that fought them." Phantom flipped through the remaining pages, but found little else besides a history lesson. His curiosity was peaked now, and he went back to the town file cabinet. This time he went to the resident section. He flipped through until he found a specific entry. "Day family." He took it out and returned to his station to look it over. Hopefully he had the right family, as pokemon often did not have last names.

He opened the document to see a list of the family. "Day, Princess, Ashley, Amber." He flipped over, finding details on Day. Why would someone file all this information? It was awfully strange. He flipped to the next page, finding a picture of a ninetales with a bow in her hair pinned to the page. Next was Ashley, then Amber. On Amber's page was a reference to a case number, likely her missing entry. That got him thinking, so he returned to Princess' page. It was certainly Mystic's mom, but one thing upset him. A case number.

He got back up and went over to Mystic's side and followed the numbers until he found it. He took out the folder and returned to his spot.

"What are you looking at?" She asked.

"Nothing, just checking something out. I'll let you know if I find anything." He looked back down and his heart sank. The first thing he saw upon opening it was the same picture. He went back to the original and made sure he had the right number. He did. He moved the picture aside and gasped.

"What?" She asked immediately.

"Nothing, it was just a yawn. Nothing but dull history. He couldn't tell her what he had found. Her mom, Princess, had killed herself.

"What!?" She shouted next to his ear. He recoiled in sheer terror, falling onto his side and scrambling away. She had snuck up next to him while he was reading. "I..." She raised her paw and bit down on it lightly. "Those... Fucking bastards!" She suddenly yelled. "I'll, I'll, damn!"

"I think you're feeling the wrong emotions." Phantom said quietly. "You should be sad..."

"No, fuck that! I'm pissed!" She swung her paw across the table, scattering papers everywhere. "I wasn't the one who did it, they did! The fuckers who kidnapped me! We're going to catch them, tonight. For my family, and everyone else!" She turned and walked away, stomping back to her table. She began to look over all the documents with a fire burning in her eyes.

As he got back to his feet, there was a knock at the door. He went over and opened it.

"Are you both okay?" Alakazam asked. "I heard yelling."

"Yea, we're fine."

"Well, it's almost midnight and I need to go home. Are you going to stay?"

"Yea, I think so."

"Alright. You can still get out, but the main doors are locked from the outside, so you won't be able to get back in if you leave. If you need some snacks, you can use the vending machine."

"We don't have any money, unless it works with badges..."

"Ah, I thought as much. Tell you what, we have a stash of poke behind the front desk. If you get hungry, go ahead and use some. Just don't go overboard." He stepped back, allowing the door to swing closed. A while later, there was a loud clicking sound. Phantom poked his head out to find the library lights off and the room pitch black.

"I'm gonna go grab something to eat. Want anything?"

"I don't care. Get something if you want." She said, not even flicking an ear in his direction.

He turned and left the room. Once the door closed behind him, he was plunged into darkness. He took a few steps forward carefully, and stopped when he felt wood in front of him. He continued this slow navigation, moving towards the dim lights coming in from the main door. His eyes began to adjust and he was able to go faster. He stopped short of the door to duck behind the desk there. He stuck his head under and felt around carefully. "C'mon, where is it?" He complained. "OW!" He yelped when he accidently pressed down on a tack.

He brought his tail down next to his head. He built up electricity and allowed it to spark over the star tip of his tail. The small amount of energy running over it created a very dim light, just enough for him to spot a small pouch. He took hold of it, opened it, and found a pile of pokecoins. He took the satchel and exited the library.

Once in the hall, a shiver ran through his body. It was not from the cold however. The hall was lit only by auxiliary lighting, leaving it much darker than usual and splaying strange shadows everywhere. He hesitantly walked down the hall, back towards the main entrance. Now that he was all alone, the sound of the snow storm outside was all the more apparent. The wailing sound perfectly fit with the lighting to really creep him out. Once he made it to the main hall, he found two vending machines.

He let out a puffing sigh as he scanned over the contents. He put in a few coins and pressed the numbers, repeating the process twice more. He looked over to the drunk machine, but the library would have water fountains, so he opted out. When he scanned over the snack bags, he realized he had a problem. He had three bags and was planning to put them in the box, but he left it with Mystic. They were too thick to carry more than one with his teeth. His head suddenly whipped around as the door shook, making a loud noise. There was nothing outside the glass doors besides swirling snow however.

A few moments later, he was moving down the hall on three paws, a bag in his teeth, and the other two clutched to his chest with the last paw. He was forced to adopt an awkward gait, but there was no way he was making two trips. He walked by bringing his rear paws forward, planting them, and stepping forward with his one forepaw. It felt weird and every step he took, his held paw twitched reflexively. He made it, very slowly, back to the room and entered.

"What took you?" Mystic asked. She had migrated from the desk and onto the floor, countless bundles of paper scattered everywhere.

"Here, I got some chips and a bag of cookies." He said, allowing the bags to drop to the floor. He sat down and let out a tired sigh.

"Is getting snacks really that tiring?"

"Yes. I almost died, twice." He said jokingly. "Find anything?"

"Not much. I got all the missing person cases and am trying to find something else."

"Well we proved what they're doing. What else do you think there is?"

"Motive. Why would they do these things?"

"Cuz they're evil. I don't think there's much else to it." He said.

"That's too convenient. There's gotta be some deeper reason. And we have to figure it out."

"I think you're over thinking it. You honestly sound like some crazy person with a conspiracy theory. Evil, money, greed, that's the long and short of it."

"You don't have to help if you don't want to. But it's not like we can really go anywhere now, the storm's too bad."

"You should at least take a break. We've been going at it for hours now."

"Alright." She said, maneuvering carefully through the maze of papers. Once to him, she took the other bag of chips and opened it, beginning to eat. She ate a couple chips before folding the bag over itself and setting it down.

"Is that it?"

"I've got work to do." She said, looking back down at the papers.

After about an hour, and two bags of chips later, Phantom was fading fast. He let out a big yawn. "How about we call it a night?" He asked.

"You can go to sleep if you want." She said, not even looking his way.

"Do you wanna take a break, go explore the building or something? Could be fun..."

"You do whatever you want. I can't stop yet." She shook her head. "Even if it takes all night."

He sighed. "Alright. I'm gonna try to get some sleep. I can't stay awake anymore." He went over to a corner of the room and curled up. "Don't overdo it." He said, before lowering his head and shutting his eyes.

Mystic went over to desk and flipped on a lamp there, then turned the main light in the room off. She didn't want him to suffer but she had to figure this out. She had every missing person case out, and she had been in the process of finding anything related and organizing them based on the person.

(Five years ago)

Green the Snover (M): Missing, found dead one week later.

Frosty the Snowrunt (M): Homecide, no suspects.

Duke the Nidoking (M): missing, found dead two months later, home robbed

Duchess the Nidoqueen (F): Found dead shortly after Duke, assumed suicide,

...

(Recent 2-0 years)

Carver the Absol (M): missing

Wumpy the Quagsire (F): missing, belongings remain

Inferna the Growlithe (F): missing, family still searching

...

"Is that... Phantom wake up!" She shouted. He grunted and rolled over. "I figured something out! They're different. They aren't robbing people, at least not from here. The Blade killed and stole things, but these people are kidnapping primarily. The prison room we found, they're moving pokemon underground! And they must have kidnapped me, and then I escaped, but I got hurt and lost my memories! And the berries must be used to pacify the captives for transport!"

Phantom let out another noise. "But why? Slave labor? If that, then for what?" She asked aloud. She looked back down and continued to look over the documents.


	15. Chapter 14

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Chp 14

"Phantom, you alive?" A voice asked.

He felt a paw pushing against his shoulder. He uncurled, noticing the soreness in his back, and looked up to see a white vulpix. "Ashley? How did you get in here?"

"Alakazam let me in. He may be book smart, but he's not street smart. I told him I was with you guys. Mystic's out cold over there." She said, moving to the side so he could see. Mystic was lying flat on the floor, her limbs splayed out in every direction, surrounded by papers. "Anyways, what did you find out?"

"Well, not much new. Mostly just evidence. Those berries are called Avos berries, that's for sure."

"Avos? Son of a bitch, I knew it." She said, grimacing and stamping her feet. "I told you saw those before, c'mon, I'll take you there." She turned and fast walked out of the room before Phantom could register what she said.

He looked around, grabbed the box, and started for the door. He stopped short to look at Mystic. He couldn't just leave her there. "Ahh!" He yelped, jumping away from the door as it hit him.

"Hurry up! We don't have long till opening time." Ashley poked her head in and said. "Where'd you go?" She asked.

"Over here." He said. She looked to the side where he now was. "Hold up, I need to send Mystic somewhere." He stepped over to her, took out his badge, and tapped her with it. A yellow beam appeared and whisked her away.

"Cool, it looks just like it does in my games." Ashley said. "Alright, we gotta hurry. They open in an hour."

"What? Who opens when?" He asked, chasing her out as she took off again. He tried to ask more questions, but she was nearly sprinting now, and he could barely keep up. They were now outside, and he couldn't help but marvel at the aftermath of the storm. The main paths were clear, but there were large drifts against many of the buildings, going nearly above the windows. He followed her down the street and to an oddly familiar building.

She entered it, and he followed her. "This way." She said, waiting for him next to another door inside.

"Isn't this the..." He looked around to see a sign. "Tempting Vixens" It read. "Ashley, what are we doing here?"

"I know somebody who knows about those berries." She went through the door and into a large room. Currently, it was well lit, but based on the purple color of the walls and the layout, it was meant to be darker. There were many chairs and some booths built into the wall. In the center of the room, was a large catwalk, with a pole in the center. There were a few similar stages and poles around the room, four in total. Ashley walked straight through the room and to a door marked employees only. She opened it and held it for him as he caught up.

"Um, are you sure about this?" He asked.

"Yea, c'mon, she'll be around somewhere." She said, leading the way in. She walked up to a mawile in front of a mirror and asked, "Hey Jess, where's Vix?"

She turned her head and looked down to her. "Oh, hey Ash. She was in the locker room last time I saw her."

"Phantom, c'mon." Ashley said, hurrying off again. He couldn't help but notice the look the mawile gave him. A look that said who is this and why is he here.

She led him through the dressing room and into another room, filled with lockers, and a small shower. Near one of the lockers was a delphox with sizable breasts, similar to the one on the sign. "Vix! I need some help." Ashley said, rushing over to the larger fox.

"Hello Ash, what can I do for you today?" She said in a sultry voice.

"My friend found a berry, and he needs more info on it. It's an Avos. Could you tell him about it?"

"Well, I was just about to hop in the shower, but I guess." Vix said. She turned to Phantom, revealing that she was wearing a skimpy bra. Her lower area was covered by her fur. "Hello there darling." She said, walking over and leaning down to pet Phantom between the ears.

"Uhh..." He muttered. He couldn't help but stare at her bosom.

"Oh, these?" She asked, hefting them in her paws. "I know, most pokemon don't have boobs. Guests certainly like them and they're fun to play with. Too bad they're fake."

Phantom shook his head. "I need to know about Avos berries."

"Ashley, you aren't trying to get a boyfriend are you?" She asked, looking back at her.

"No, my sister's his girlfriend. He just needs info, so I brought him here."

"Ah, that's nice. Avos berries make sex wonderful, just the best." She said, a paw running over her tits. "Better feeling, longer lasting, and no pregnancy. They arouse the consumer, and last for about an hour. You'll be fucking that entire time, for sure."

"Um," Phantom started, a blush on his face. Vix stood and walked over to the shower. "Where do you get them?"

"Looking to have some fun with your girl then? They can be pretty pricey. You can get them from most places, it's all about knowing the right people. We get ours from somebody up the mountain. He comes down once a week and delivers a fresh shipment." While she was talking, she removed her bra and got into the shower, deliberately putting on a show for the smaller male. "We were supposed to get a new shipment yesterday, but he never showed. You look like someone who can _'get things done'._ So if you could go check on that, I would be _'deeply'_ grateful." She said with as much innuendo as possible. She leaned forward and pinched one of her nipples, water streaming through her fur.

Phantom swallowed loudly. "Uhh, no that's fine. Can we leave now Ashley?"

"Sure, let's go. I probably won't be in tonight, Vix."

"That's fine honey, but you really should come in more often. The boys go crazy for you." Vix waved them off with a spray of water leaving her fur.

Ashley led him back outside. Once they were outside, he asked her something. "Do you really work there? As a stripper?"

"Yea, a girl's gotta make money somehow. Could you not tell Mystic though? I'm not really embarrassed but I don't want to scare her or anything."

"Well what should I tell her when she asks where we got the lead?"

"Just say I remembered where I saw those berries. Speak of the devil..." She pointed into the distance, to a vulpix sprinting towards them at full speed. They began to walk towards her. Before they made contact, Mystic attempted to slow down, but hit an icy patch, causing her to stumble and skid forward. She looked goofy, but managed to avoid falling.

"Phantom!" She yelled. "I met with Zys and Hunter. I told them everything we found. Zys was really happy to see me and Hunter told me about what they found. So, they scanned the city for tunnels and found a bunch, all leading to different places. He sent teams out this morning to investigate each one. And now they know what to look for. We could have just set the whole thing in motion!"

"That's great. Ashley came and found me before I sent you back, and she has a lead for us." He motioned towards her.

"Yea, so those berries, the Avos berries. I remembered where I saw them. They had 'em up the mountain, at the village there. I can get you up there just fine. Ready to go?"

"Uh, sorry Ashley, but I don't think you should come. It might get dangerous. These people are serious trouble." Mystic said gently.

"Sis, c'mon, I'm tougher than I look." Ashley said proudly, her tails bristling out behind her.

"I agree with her." Phantom said. "You really don't want to get involved with these monsters."

She put on a pouty face for a moment, and when neither of them budged, she relented. "Fine. Just be careful. And you have to come back and see me before you go home."

"Deal." Mystic said, coming over and nuzzling her cheek. They both shivered at the feeling of the other's polar opposite temperature. "Let's get going Phantom."

"Be careful and hurry. You don't want to be caught out in the dark on the slopes!" Ashley shouted after them.

"How late did we sleep!?" Mystic asked. The sky was already noticeably darkening.

"The better question is how late we stayed up." He looked further up, towards the peak of the mountain. "I don't think we'll make it in time. We'll have to find someplace to stay overnight." He turned off the winding path they were currently on, and began to trudge through the snow, aiming for a nearby rocky outcropping. She reluctantly followed him, and they began to comb the area, looking for any sign of a cave.

"Found it!" He shouted. She poked her head out from the ledge above him and looked into it from above. She disappeared again, and came down next to him after a bit.

"Is it gonna be warm enough?"

"Yea." He stuck a finger into his mouth and held it up. "The winds won't get in unless it changes direction." He started into the cave. It went straight in, arcing down a bit, before turning sharply to the right. "No water source, but it'll keep us from freezing."

"What about a fire?"

"We'll need to get some wood. On a mountain with few trees."

"I got this." She said. She turned and went back outside. He followed her slightly down the hill to a cluster of three pine trees. She drew in a big breath and breathed a stream of fire across the snow, melting most of it.

Phantom stepped past her and onto the wet ground. "Well, we got wood, but its wet." He said, flipping over a large branch. "We can use your tails to carry them."

"But... wet..." She complained.

"It's either this, or you breath fire all night long." He said frankly.

"Ugh, I know, but... damn." She walked down and held her tails down to the ground. He took several soaking branches, and plenty of sticks, and set them there. He nodded to her and he folded her tails back up, using their fluffiness to hold all the kindling to her back. "Okay, let's get this over with. Make sure I don't lose any." She started to slowly walk to the cave.

They made it fine, but night was closing in fast, and the temperature was steadily dropping. It had been cold before, but now it was nearing below zero. She let the wood spill out onto the cave floor.

Phantom started the pile with mostly small sticks, pushing the rest aside. "Okay, you're going to have to dry these, without setting them on fire yet."

"Hah, easy!" She said, getting close and creating a tiny ember. She moved it around, warming the cave slightly, and the wood.

While she was doing that, Phantom went over to the branches and began to use his claws to strip the wet wood from them. This continued for about a half an hour.

"Well, well, well. Looks like I found you." An arrogant sounding voice said from the higher ground of the cave. He began to walk down, slowly revealing more of his green body. He continued further in, showing his face. His eyes were covered by red goggle like lenses. The flygon had his nose turned up in contempt, the disgust visible on his face.

Both of them took up offensive stances, their respective elements building up for an attack. "Who are you?" Phantom asked, aiming his tail to launch a thunderbolt.

"Relax. I'm not here to harm you. I've been looking for you for quite some time. Personally, I would rather not bother with trash, but I have orders. I'm to give you a proposition. Willing to hear me out?"

"Alright..." Phantom said suspiciously.

Mystic swallowed back the flames she had built up. "Who the hell are you?"

"Down girl. You wouldn't want to get hurt. I'm Grit. I want to offer you an invitation. To the Shadow." His claws came together and he cracked his knuckles. "You don't have a choice however."

"The Shadow? Are you one of the people kidnapping pokemon?!" Mystic shouted.

"Kidnapping? Something so simple? You insult me." Grit said sarcastically. "To put it simply, the boss is impressed with you, for some reason. So he wants you to join up with us."

"Fu-"

"Mystic!" Phantom shouted. "Stop. What would we be doing if we did?"

"You're not serious!" She shouted back. Her voice fell away when she saw his stern look.

"A lot more than kidnapping. We cover two major vices. That's all I'll say right now. So answer."

Phantom fur spiked out as he rushed forward and leapt into the air. He tackled the flygon as hard as he could. He squirmed briefly when he was grabbed and thrown into the stone wall. Mystic took the opening and breathed a stream of flames at Grit. He was obscured by the fire, until he stepped through it and slapped her down.

"You're both weak. Good thing you refused. Trash d-" Grit's head rose as he let out a massive roar of pain. He spun around and charged at the source of the multi colored beam, and right into a cloud of icy air. He roared again, flapping his wings and flying around the corner and out of the cave.

"Hah, hah, ha, ha, ha!" The white vulpix broke into a crazy laugh.

"Ashley?" Mystic asked, getting back to her feet.

"I fucked him up!" She cheered.

"What are you doing here?!" Mystic asked angrily.

"Chill out. Hah, chill! I just saved your butts." She said, dancing around, wagging her rear through the air.

"You're not supposed to be here!" Mystic said, still angry.

"Well excuse me." She said, pouting exaggeratedly. "I'll just let you die next time. Ooooorrrrr..."

"Or what?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"I could join your team!" Ashley said with a beaming smile. "How 'bout it Phantom?"

"Well, if he comes back, it would be good to have her with us..."

"Ashley, could you step outside for a second." Mystic said, not really asking.

She shrugged and went back out, towards the entrance.

"She is not joining our team!" Mystic whispered fiercely at him.

He was still lying on the ground. "She did just beat that guy..."

"No. No way. It's too dangerous for her."

"I'm not some fragile little girl, sis. I've been through a lot and I can handle myself. What makes you think we're any different?" Ashley said, coming back in.

"You don't have the experience to keep up with us! We're professional explorers, not like in your video games."

"Then I'll learn. Like it or not, I'm coming with you. And if you won't let me join, I'll start my own team." She said, turning her head away haughtily.

"We can settle this later. C'mon Mystic, you need to get the fire going." He said, getting between the angry sisters.

"Hmph!" They both grunted in unison. Mystic returned to the fire she was working on in the corner, and Ashley went to the other side. They both refused to look at each other.

"Guys... girls... c'mon."

"No way in hell. It's way too dangerous for her to come with us." Mystic repeated.

"But what about you? It's dangerous for you too!" Ashley said.

"I can accept that, but I don't want you or dad to get hurt!"

"What about me?! I don't want you to get hurt either."

"The difference is that I have something to fight for!" Mystic stood, yelling right at her.

"So do I! I want my sister to be safe! And the best way to do that is to be with you!"

"It's better that only one of us is in danger, instead of both! And what about dad? You'd leave him all alone?"

"What about my happiness? I'm not happy living here anymore. It's the same thing, every day. Phantom? What do you think?"

"Yea, what about you?"

Phantom look back and forth. "Um... I... ugh... Mystic, she attacked one of them. Now she's a target. She'll be safer with us, and with the rescue federation."

"Of course you would take her side. What, don't like me anymore? Found a new girl?" Mystic said.

"N-n-no! I'm not attracted to her! It's just logic."

"What? I'm not pretty?" Ashley asked, ready to keep arguing.

"Please stop fighting!" Phantom screamed. "Just stop." He looked to both of them, breathing heavily. "She has to come with us. If she doesn't, she and your father could be attacked. It's safer this way. We can protect her, and she won't come with us on any hard jobs. And if we refuse, she'll just do something drastic."

"I hate it when you're right." Mystic said quietly.

"Alright, now that it's settled, time to fill me in." Ashley said, smiling with tails wagging.

Higher up on the mountain, in the basement of a certain building, five pokemon were gathered. Seated at the head of the table, was Hearth the typhlosion. Down the right side was Grit the flygon, who was rubbing aching lower back, and Carver the absol. Down the left was Reaper the decidueye and Tyrant the tyranitar.

"Little shit got me good." Grit growled.

"You should have let me go!" Tyrant boasted in a deep and booming voice.

"You would have gotten messed up if it was a fighting type, you arrogant prick. Besides, it was my job."

"Gentlemen, relax. It'll all work out." Carver said. His voice was much less rough, sounding suave and calm.

Reaper grunted, his arms crossed over his chest while he leaned back against the wall, instead of in a chair.

"Enough." Hearth said, sounding exhausted. "We're burning this base tonight. Secrecy is our greatest weapon. Grit, I trust you didn't tell them anything?"

"Of course not. What, you think I'm an idiot?"

"Sometimes. Anyways, if we kill them, the federation will know they were close. Best just to cut our losses and pull out. Gather everything up and get ready to go. We need to be gone by sunrise."


	16. Chapter 15

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Chp 15

"Get up! I wish I had some coffee. But that's no excuse, get a move on, we gotta go!" Ashley spouted out, pacing back and forth at the slope out of the cave.

Phantom was slowly getting up, gingerly pressing his right forepaw to the floor. He drew in a hissing breath. "I think I sprained something." He experimentally set it down, seeing just how much weight he could put on it. One way or the other, he was going to be slowed down.

Mystic was in a similar mood. She could not stop yawning and felt drowsy. "Can't we just sleep longer? I'm not ready to go." She attempted to bury her head in her paws, but Ashley gently pounced on her. Her head was placed between Ashley's paws and shaken lightly.

"WAKE UP!" She yelled cheerily, uncontrollably smiling. "Think of all the adventure you'll be missing!"

"Don't make me regret letting you join..." Mystic threatened.

"We gotta get a move on, grouchy pants." She said teasingly.

"Yea, we just gotta get to the top, then we can get a room and you can go back to sleep." Phantom said, offering a paw to help her up.

"Ughh" She groaned. "Fine. But I get something. I don't know what yet, but something, later, is mine." She got up and slowly followed the other two pokemon outside.

Phantom took the lead, guiding them back onto the main path, which moved side to side in an S shape up the mountain.

"What are you guy doing? Is this how you've been going up? No wonder you didn't make it. Nobody actually uses this old path anymore. Follow me." Ashley said. She turned off the path and began to walk straight up the mountain. Her tail were fanned out and against the ground to clear a path through the snow for them.

"This is kinda nice." Phantom said. "The snow feels good on my sore paw."

"Then let's pick up the pace! Can I take the lead on this one?"

"Once we find the culprit, I guess. Just be discreet. We were sent to gather information."

"Got it, like a spy."

Phantom looked back at Mystic, who was last in line, to see how she felt about that. He found her with her head drooped to the side and eyes half closed. She made a indecipherable noise at him when she noticed him looking. He turned back and looked past Ashley, who blended nearly perfectly into the snow, and up towards the peak. It wasn't too far away now. He could even begin to make out the tops of buildings over the crest.

Sure enough, not long they made it to the top. They crossed over the top of the hill, to find a mostly flat area where the small town was situated. The mountain itself wasn't that high, but the clouds certainly looked closer as they floated by. Phantom turned back to look back down. He felt his stomach drop from the sheer height. The town they had came from looked tiny now.

"Can I take a nap now?" Mystic asked.

"Yea, this way. We can get a room at the spa, and we can get in the baths later."

"That does sound nice. It's been a while since we took time to relax."

"SLEEP!" Mystic shouted, charging headlong towards the main building of the hot spring. When they caught up with her, she was already harassing the froslass behind the desk. "I need a room! Now, now, now!"

"Madam, please calm down. If you would pay, I'd be happy to give you a room."

"Pay?! Pay? Alright, I... shit... Phantom! Money!" She turned back and yelled at him.

He stepped up to the counter and took out his badge, handing it to the froslass. "Don't you work at the inn at the base of the mountain?" He asked her.

"No, that is my sister. Is she doing alright?"

"Yea, we just came from there. Nice place."

"Well, I believe we have it better up here. But you'll just have to see." She said, smiling. She handed the key over to Phantom. Mystic immediately snapped it out of his paw, looked at the number, and dashed off.

"Wait, what's our room?" Phantom shouted after her, but she was already out of the room.

"Cabin number eight." The froslass told him. "Here," She gave him another keycard.

"Thanks." He and Ashley left and headed for their room. The spa area was divided into three areas, the main building, the spa, and the cabins. The cabins were small single room wooden shacks, separated from each other by only a few feet. Each one had a chimney, hinting to the fireplace inside. They came to right one, and went inside. Mystic was already on the bed, wriggling to try and get comfy.

"Either join me or beat it." She said.

"Jeez." Ashley said.

"I'm going to leave the box here." Phantom said. He reached in and took out their badges. "Hmm..."

"What is it?" Ashley asked.

"The box is a dead giveaway for an adventurer, and so is the badge, but we might need it. All our money is stored with it..." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Here's the deal. You take the lead, and I'll take the badge and hide it."

She nodded and he started for the door. She looked over to Mystic to make sure she wasn't watching, and grabbed her sister's badge, hiding it in her tails. She then followed him back outside, pulling the door shut and allowing Mystic her rest.

"Alright, let's go investigate."

"So is this what it's like?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, not really. This is just a special job. We can do some easy jobs when we're done here." He took the lead for now, going out into the town.

"Oh dear..." Phantom heard someone say. He looked over to see a worried looking Jynx looking towards a burned building.

"Excuse me." He said as he approached her. "What happened here?"

"This building burned down last night... Are you visiting?"

"Yes, we came to see the hot springs."

"I probably shouldn't gossip, but I can't keep this a secret anymore. My husband works as the night watch for the town, and he says he saw Cole, the manager of the springs, walking away from the sight just after the fire started..." She gasped. "You don't think he'd..."

"No, probably just a coincidence. Well, it was nice meeting you." He said, eager to get away. Once he returned to Ashley, he informed her of what he learned.

"The spa manager? Well we'll have to hunt him down." Her excitement was clear. She took the lead this time, taking them back to the hotel. They went to the hot spring area.

The springs were separated by gender but Ashley ignored the doors and walked around the side, until she found a door marked "Employees only". She ignored this too, and went inside. There were several mechanical looking things, and two pokemon, a buizel and a torkoal. The torkoal noticed and addressed them.

"Who are you? What are you doing in here?" He asked. His voice did not match his body. While he looked old, he sounded quite young.

"Are you Coal?"

"Senior or Junior?" He asked, sounding a bit snarky.

"That sounds like a yes. In that case..." She moved her tails, bringing the one Mystic's badge was attached to forward. "Freeze!" She opened her mouth and swept an ice beam across the floor, freezing their feet in a prison of ice. "What did you have to do with the fire last night?!" She yelled, getting in their faces.

Phantom just stood there with his mouth hanging open, too stunned to do anything.

"What are you talking about?!" Coal yelled.

"Maybe we should-" The buizel started.

"Shut the hell up, Rivet! We didn't do anything!"

"We... we did it." Rivet said. Coal let out a loud hiss. He breathed fire down and melted the ice containing his paws. "Don't do it!" Rivet shouted.

Coal charged forward and hit Ashley aside with a powerful body slam. "I'm not goin' to jail!" He roared. His head turned to Phantom, and smoke began to puff out of his shell.

"Coal, stop!" Rivet tried to reason with the raging torkoal.

Phantom did not have time to reason anymore, and his survival instincts kicked in. He ducked to the side as a few balls of fire shot by and let out a burst of paralyzing electricity, locking Coal in place. This did not stop him however, and he began to build up another attack. Until a blast of water hit him, that is.

Phantom looked over to see Rivet with water dripping from his maw. "If you keep this up, we'll just get in more trouble!" He ran forward and leaped onto the fire types back, holding him down. Coal tucked his limbs into his shell, and an angry growling could be heard coming from inside.

Phantom instinctually reached down for the box, but found nothing there. "Oh yea... Ashley? Watch over them while I go get someone."

Ashley was already up and keeping a stern eye on them, but she nodded once he finished speaking.

Fairly sure that she would be fine, he left and ran back to their room to contact Hunter. The moment he burst in the door, Mystic let out an angry groan at being woken up. "I'll just be a sec." Phantom said. He grabbed the orb and left as fast as he could. Once outside, he activated the communication orb.

"Phantom, what is it?" Hunter asked when he answered.

"We captured somebody. Would you come here and help us?"

"Of course. Be right there." The orb disconnected.

Phantom sat there, expecting Phantom to teleport to him with his signature ribbon. When nothing happened, he started back to the maintenance room. Oh shit. He must have teleported to Mystic's badge. Which Ashley had. Phantom picked up the pace. When he opened the door, "Young lady, stealing a badge is a serious crime."

"Yea but..."

"It's okay Hunter." He said. "She joined our team. Speaking of which, could you get her a badge?"

"Yes, of course. Now, down to business. What did you two do last night?" Hunter asked, stepping over to Coal and Rivet.

"We burned down a house. Nobody lived there though." Rivet said. "Coal, just talk. Maybe we'll get off easier."

"Yes, I can certainly do something for you if you both cooperate." Hunter said.

"Fine! We were told by our boss to burn it down. He was the one who owned it, so it wasn't really a crime." Coal said, his head coming out.

"Who is he and why?" Hunter demanded.

"I don't actually know his name, but he's a tyranitar. He said he had to leave town and didn't want the house anymore. So he paid us a bunch to destroy it. So we didn't really do anything wrong at all."

"Was he the owner of the spa, or what?" Ashley asked.

A worried look quickly crossed Coal's face as he ducked back into his shell. "We were... he gave us berries, that we sold ourselves and gave him a cut of the profits."

"The berries were illegal." Rivet added.

"I'm trying to save our asses, you idiot!" Coal snapped at him, his head coming back out and looking at the buizel on top of him.

"That's weird, cuz so am I!" He said back, a snarl crossing his face.

"Both of you shut up!" Ashley said, sick of their squabbling.

"Screw you!" Coal shouted back.

Hunter tapped both Ashley and Coal on the head. "Enough! Young man, you need to respect authority. We're here to keep people safe. As for you," He turned to Ashley. "You need to learn what it means to be on a rescue team. You need discipline."

" _You_ need discipline." She muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" She said flustered.

"Anyways, Phantom, thank you for capturing these two. You can go on ahead, I'll take care of this and get back to you later. And I'll get a badge for your new teammate."

"Alright, thanks Hunter." He turned for the door, followed by Ashley. Just before she left, she turned back, lifted a paw, and pointed at both eyes before turning her paw and pointing at Coal.

"So what now?" She asked once they were outside.

"Well, we did wake up pretty early, so I wouldn't mind a nap."

"That doesn't sound too bad..."

They made their way back to the cabin, and quietly went inside. Mystic was lying on her back on the bed, paws clinging to herself. She had also started the fireplace, and there was a substantial supply of logs to go along with it. Both Ashley and Phantom got into the bed, one on either side, and slowly drifted off.

Mystic awoke and stretched her legs out as far as she could. Her eyes shot open when she hit something. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was only Phantom. She turned her head to the other side to see Ashley.

"You up?" Phantom asked.

She rolled back over to face him. "Yea. I miss anything?"

"It's a long story." Ashley said. "How about we head for the hot springs and I'll fill you in."

"I was thinking the same thing. Phantom, you coming?"

"Mmhmm, in a little bit. I'm gonna have a snack first."

"Alright, see you there." Mystic said. She hopped off the bed and went out the door, followed shortly by Ashley.

Phantom got up and went over to the box. He took out an apple and began to take a few bites. While he did, he took out and activated the communication orb.

"Hunter, it's Phantom. I forgot to tell you some things when you were here."

"That's perfectly fine. What is it?"

"So last night, we were attacked by a flygon named Grit. He offered to let us join the group we've been fight. They call themselves the Shadow now. And he said that they cover two major vices."

"That is... worrying. Phantom, I know you're all in on this, but what I am about to tell you could be very upsetting."

"It's okay, I can handle it."

"Alright. I am certain one of the vices is drug trafficking. I suspect the other to be sex slaves. Based on everything you've found so far, it seems more than likely that they have been kidnapping pokemon and selling them for... carnal desires. I'm sorry to put something so heavy on you."

"That's just... awful. That just makes me want to stop them more." Phantom said, conviction filling his voice.

"We will stop them. I believe that they have similar motives to the Blade: money. But their methods are very different. They also live up to their name, as they are very secretive. Perhaps they are learning from their predecessor's mistakes. I already investigated the burned building. There was a basement, like the other, but everything was gone. There was also a tunnel, but it was utterly collapsed. No information at all can be gathered from it. Nonetheless, you have done very well. Take a break and enjoy yourselves before coming back."

"So then, that Hunter guy showed up and took them away."

"So we found the pusher, but not the mastermind. Well, at least we put a stop to it."

The girls went in, through the small locker room and into the spring. Mystic stepped right in, the hot and steamy water feeling wonderful on her fur.

"Wait, can you get in this hot of water?" She asked Ashley.

She reached down and stuck one paw in the water. "Yea, it's just kinda tingly." She slowly began to get in more and more, until she was fully in. "Ohhh." She moaned. "It's been so long since we've been here. Last time was about two years ago, when we all got together and came up here for the weekend."

"What was she like?"

"Who, mom?"

"Yea... I know what happened, so if you don't wanna talk about it..." Mystic offered.

"No, it'll be good to get things off my chest. I'm scared to talk about it with dad. He's been... down ever since. Mom was really nice, kind hearted, always looking out for others, you know. She worked her tails off to keep everybody happy. When you disappeared... she started acting weird. She basically stopped doing anything, and would spend all day on the porch, watching for you. Then one day..." She closed her eyes and her jaw clenched.

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything else." Mystic said, afraid that she was about to burst into tears.

"I want to. I need to. I woke up one day and when I left the house..." She drew in a hitching breath. "She was lying on the porch, half buried in snow." A single tear ran down her cheek and splashed into the water.

Mystic stepped forward and licked her between her ears. "It's okay. We're going to get revenge."

"While I'm confessing things... Remember how I've been doing theatre? Well it's a part of the school, and they pay graduates to come and perform and show the kids how it's done. Well, they don't pay very much. So when I needed money, I started working part time as a dancer."

"Dancer? What's the difference?"

"An adult dancer. A stripper. At the local strip club. I was super popular, and eventually got a boyfriend, and so on. We broke up after our first time. He was probably hunting for virgins."

"That's awful. And I've only been gone for two months... wow..." She felt sorry for her sister. "Listen, we are going to stop the Shadow from ever doing this again, from hurting anyone else the way they did us."

"I'm glad to see nothing changed for you. You were always a motivated girl. When you decided to do something, it was gonna get done, no matter what. I remember all the times you got in trouble with mom and dad when you nearly destroyed the house doing stuff. Like the time you tried to bake a cake and lit her flower garden on fire from the kitchen window." Ashley said, smiling at the pleasant memories. "We've gotta find a way to get your memories back, maybe we should try and find a powerful psychic type."

"We tried that, with an old slowking."

"No, I mean like a real psychic type, like one with tons of experience. The rescue federation has to have some unbelievably strong pokemon. Like that Hunter. I could just feel how strong he was, just from being around him."

"Maybe he would know someone... he is the leader of the federation..."

"Wait? He is?! That guy, your boss, is the leader of the entire federation?!"

"I don't know about entire, but he leads the base in Journey town."

"Well that's the big city, so he's gotta be important."

"Excuse me? Young man?" An aged torkoal asked Phantom on his way to the spring.

"Yes?"

"Are you the boy who caught Coal?"

"Yes, that was me."

"Thank you. I'm his father, Coal senior. He was supposed to be taking over maintenance of the springs, but I guess he was just too young. Your scizor took them back with him for punishment."

"Okay then. You're welcome." He said, stepping around and continuing to the spa.

"Hey, remember how you said you were trying to get with Phantom?"

"Yea..." Mystic said, already suspicious.

"Well, I'm kind of an expert at sex, so maybe I could help you two out? Maybe a threesome."

"I appreciate it, but no, not yet. We already have plans."

"Not yet? Does that mean you're open to it?"

"I guess. Maybe it'll help him get over his shyness." She said jokingly.

"If you don't mind sharing, he could have two girlfriends." Ashley said, trying to make it sound like a random comment, but Mystic could see her intent.

"I'd be fine with that, just don't hog him all to yourself." She said, playfully splashing some water at her.

"Really? Cuz I think he's kinda cute. The whole shy thing is so adorable. Though he can be a rough kitty when he needs to. He's the one who captured those thugs." She said while shaking her head fluff. "And don't do that again, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry." She said darkly.

Mystic looked away and began to whistle innocently. When Ashley looked away from hearing a noise on the other side of the fence separating the spring, Mystic brought out her soaked tails, and let them drip onto Ashley's head.

Her head whipped around to look at her. "Oh hell no! It's on now!" She said, swinging her tails through the air and spraying water all over.

Phantom passed through the locker room and got into the waters. He shut his eyes and smiled at the feeling of the soothing liquid, before dunking his head in for a moment. When he surfaced, he stopped to look around. There were only two other people in the male bath, a growlithe and a riolu. They were both near the fence, heads facing it and pitched forward, like they were whispering to each other.

As Phantom leisurely swam into the deeper end, he heard something.

"This is awesome. Which one do you think is cuter?"

"The white one, totally."

Phantom looked over, and from the angle he was at now, could see a small hole in the fence.

"I'm gonna get you!" Mystic shouted from the other side.

They were... Phantom bared his teeth in rage. "Hey, quit it!" He shouted.

"Excuse me?" The growlithe said angrily.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" The riolu said, also turning to look at him. He took a step forward, adopting a fighting stance. "Beat it, before we beat you."

"Raggh!" Phantom roared, letting out a burst of electricity, electrifying the water. Both the canines yelped and jumped. It was enough energy to give them a jolt, but not really hurt them. Phantom likely would have, but there was too much water for it to seriously injure them.

"Aw, what the hell was that?" Ashley said from the other side. "Well, it doesn't matter. Let's go back. I'm kinda hungry. See you there Phantom!" She shouted over the fence.

"Dammit, now what?" The growlithe said.

"Screw it, let's just go. Shows over. Thanks for that." Riolu said sarcastically. They quickly departed, not wanting another shock.

Phantom continued staring daggers at them as they left. Shortly after they were gone, he was ready to get out. His feeling of relaxation was long gone.

When he got back to the cabin, he found the girls eating dinner. It wasn't apples though, they had gotten room service.

"Here," Mystic said, patting the stool next to her. "We got you some."

"So what was going on over there?"

"There were... just some kids trying to pick a fight. I had to give them a little jolt to get them to leave me alone."

"Oh, that explains a lot." Mystic said. "Did I do anything weird today? I can't remember much from before my nap."

"Well you were being kind of a bit-" Ashley said

"So, we why don't go on back?" Phantom interrupted.

"What do you mean?" Ashley asked.

"Back to the base. We might as well. We're done here anyways."

"No way we can make it back tonight. Do you know how far away Journey town is? Like a 2 day walk."

Mystic looked at her with a smirk. "How bout we finish eating before we blow your mind."

A short while later and all the food was gone. "Alright, check this out." Mystic said. "Phantom, hit it."

He nodded and tapped each of them with his badge before tapping himself. When he arrived at the base, Ashley was looking around in confusion.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Welcome home." Mystic said. "We're at the base. We can teleport back here anytime."

"Sweet!" She said.

Due to the time difference, the sun had just set in Journey town and the night was not too dark yet. They went in and up to the second floor. Once they were there, Mystic and Phantom were scooped up and hugged tightly.

"Hey Zys, good to see you too." Mystic said. She rubbed her head into his chest. "Hope you didn't miss us too much." They were soon set down, and all four pokemon went into Hunter's office.

"Oh, you're back." He said, standing to greet them. "I didn't expect to see you so soon. I've got no news for you, or even work. So do whatever you want for the time being. Keep that communication orb and I'll let you know if anything comes up. And I got these for you." The scizor approached and handed them two badges, one small and one large. "For Zys and Ashley. They're a part of your team now, and thus your responsibility. Now sorry to shoo you off, but I have plenty of work to do."

"They left."

"Hmm, Reaper?" Carver said, raising his head and looking around his cabin.

"They are no longer on the mountain." Reaper explained, his head sticking out upside down from the ceiling.

"Well there goes that plan. You should probably find them again. If you see Hearth, tell him I've got some things to take care of before I head home." He lowered his head and took another bite of his steak before looking back up. The decidueye was gone.


	17. Chapter 16 (X)

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Chp 16

"I don't know how I feel about this place. Nowhere near as comfy as my bedroom." Ashley complained in the morning.

"I can agree with that, but it's free so..." Mystic said.

"We should get our own base, with blackjack, and hookers."

"Why? Gambling is kinda stupid. You never win..." Phantom said.

"No, that was a joke. But having our own base would be totally awesome."

"Do you have any idea how much that would cost?!" Mystic exclaimed. "I don't know, but it's gotta be a ton."

"Actually, if we built it outside of town, it wouldn't be _that_ expensive. But we don't have enough poke to buy land and hire someone to build it." Phantom explained.

" _Unless_... we took on a big job." Ashley said.

"Well, not today. We've got plans. Just for the two of us." Mystic said. "Sorry to kick you out so soon, but we'll need some alone time."

"Ohhhhh~" Ashley purred. "I see. Well I wanted to tell dad goodbye before we left, so I could go back and do that."

"Sure, just press your badge to the place on the map, second floor."

"Okay, have fun you two~" She said, knowing exactly what the plan was.

Once she was gone, Mystic turned to Phantom. "So, I'd rather not do anything here. It's too public. Another good reason to get our own place."

A blush was clearly visible on his face. "I think I know a place... where..."

"Alright, let's go then. We should stop by the lunch room and get something to-go on the way. We'll make another date of it." Before they left, she turned to Zys, who was sitting against the wall with his eyes closed. "We'll be back later. Don't worry." She told him quietly.

They went out and into the main building, towards the lunchroom. Once they got to the front of the line, they found the meal of the day: surf and turf, specifically shrimp and roast beef. They got two orders, and a slice of cake, and left, Phantom leading the way.

"Where are we going?" She asked. "This feels kind of familiar..."

Journey town was situated on the edge of cliff overlooking the ocean. The waters were to the south. To the east was a hill leading down the beach, and to the north was a large hill, or tiny mountain, located behind the federation building. The entire city was surrounded by forests, except for the southern area. It wasn't very high up from the ocean, and a port area was located down the cliff side, with warehouses and businesses built into the rocks. They were headed to the east, though the path was well paved, leading her to think the area was associated with the town, even as they left the urban area. Then it dawned on her. The park, where they had met with the old slowking.

The path turned sharply to the right and once they cleared it, the obscuring trees were gone, revealing the wide open park. They were plenty of pokemon around, even a small group of kids playing in the shallow lake.

"Um, a picnic might be romantic, but this is a lot more public than our room." Mystic commented.

"The forest around here is really thick, so we can go in there. But it's not a good place for a picnic, so we should eat here."

She took the lead and went over to near the shore. The grass was neatly trimmed short, and the border of the lake was well secured, so the ground was perfectly comfortable. Their food was contained in plastic boxes and still steaming hot. The food was set down and they laid down close to each other and began to eat, neither speaking a word. They were too busy enjoying the nice day, the wind, the bird pokemon singing, the laughter of the playing children, it was quite pleasant.

She finished her meal quickly, eager to get down to business. He was eating slowly however. "Don't be nervous. This is supposed to be fun."

"That doesn't really help..." He said. "What if I do something wrong?"

"I don't think that's possible..."

He took a deep breath. "I don't think I can eat any more. I feel kinda sick."

She stood, followed shortly by him, and they went over to a nearby trash can to deposit the food. She then looked over to him. "Ready?"

He opened his mouth but no sound came out. He nodded instead. He walked past her, off the path, and into the woods. They walked for a while, getting plenty far from any other pokemon, before they found a relatively clear area. She ran her paws along the grass, making sure it wasn't rocky.

"This spot should do." She walked over to him and rested a paw on his side. "Would you be less nervous if I took the lead?"

"I guess..." He mumbled.

She lowered her body and stuck her head under him. Her eyes immediately locked onto his package, a sheath with two fuzzy balls behind it. It looked... delectable, for lack of a better word. She went in and licked along his sheath, sneaking the tip of her tongue inside the pouch. She licked gently a few more times and brought a paw up to massage his member out of its hiding place. He let out a whimper from above her, and nothing was happening down below. "What's up? Are you okay?" She asked. She came back up and became worried when he turned back to look at her.

"I don't feel so good." He said quietly. He looked queasy.

"Wow, you really are nervous. Maybe we shouldn't..."

"But you want to do this, don't you?"

"Yea, but not if you don't." She said, looking at the ground. "It's only fun if we're both having fun."

"I want to." He said, his voice barely a squeak. He let out a frightened yelp when he was suddenly tackled. They rolled a bit until she was straddling his chest and he was pinned on his back. He opened his mouth, but his voice was silenced when she kissed him deeply, her tongue snaking into his mouth.

"Shhhh," She purred. She moved away, a string of saliva falling away from their lips. "I'll take good care of you." He was blushing violently. "Just sit back and relax. You don't have to worry about anything."

"But I..." He muttered.

"Enough of that. I'm going to show you exactly why you shouldn't be nervous." She moved off of him and strutted a small circle to end up facing his junk. "I'm sure you already know about this," She tapped his sheath with a paw. "But it never hurts to refresh. This is your sheath. It hides your penis, though most prefer to call it a dick, and keeps it safe. Below that are your balls. They hold your sperm, which your dick shoots out to impregnate a female in heat."

"I know all this..."

She continued on undeterred. She brought her other paw up and pulled his sheath down gently, revealing his obsidian tip. "Now, you're a feline, and I'm a vulpine. We'll get to me in a little while. Most felines have pink genitalia and barbs, but if I remember right, you inherited a different one from your father. I really like your dick, it looks so different. Especially this knot." She said, squeezing the still hidden base. "Probably just my instincts. And you're pretty big from what I've seen. About six inches..." She frowned a bit when she let go and his sheath covered everything back up. His tip wasn't even poking through. "Geez, you really are nervous." She moved around and kissed him on the nose. "Alright close your eyes."

He did so, and soon felt something wriggling around on top of him. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Keep 'em closed." She commanded. He felt a weight settle on his body, almost as if... "Okay," She said.

He opened his eyes and his brain nearly shut down. It felt like he had been punched in the gut. Mystic was lying on her back, on top of him, backwards, leaving her rear right in front of his face. She reached down with her paws and place them on either side. "Ready or not, here comes the tour." She used one paw to spread the top. "This is my clitoris, or clit for short. It feels good when touched."

Phantom was in total awe. He had seen a vagina before, but never this close.

She continued down, spreading herself wide for him. "This," she pointed to the upper hole. "isn't too important, but this..." She used her other paw to spread herself as wide as possible, allowing him to see a bit inside of the lower hole. "This is my vagina, or pussy. If you put your dick inside it, it feels really good, for both of us. See? No big deal, just anatomy and instincts."

"But..."

She spun off of him and returned to her original position, sitting on his chest. "You're really not making this easy. I don't want to rape you, so last chance to back out. I want a yes or no."

"I mean... isn't sex for... like... mates?"

"No, breeding is. But I'm not in heat. We're doing this because we're close, and it makes both of us feel good. And like I said, everything you could do feels good. You're not going to hurt me or anything."

"I'm still scared..." He said, hiding his face with his forepaws.

"Haghh," She groaned, nearly at her wits end. "Fine, I'll do everything this time. But next time, you're mounting _me_." She scooted down, moving her rear over his. He let out a squeak when her cunny touched his sheath, dribbling a bit of her honey on it. She rubbed against it, moving her lips up and down. "Sheesh, how are you not hard by now." She said. "Any other male would be screwing my brains out. I can at least appreciate your respect, but that isn't going to make either of us cum."

She sat further up and then rested down, leaving his sheath between her lips. "C'mon~" She urged, lowering her head and licking his neck. She moved back up and saw the grimace on his face. "Why are you holding back? If you don't want this, just say so and I'll stop."

"But... I..." He groaned in frustration and his face scrunched even further.

"I'm about to let you dump your balls in me. You don't need to hide anything. You're not going to hurt my feelings. How soft do you think I am? Metaphorically..." She said as he tails lashed about behind her.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her with a sad face. All her arousal disappeared in concern when she saw it. "I... All I hear is horror stories about couples. Even Ashley said her boyfriend dumped her after they had sex. My parents separated early in my life and all they ever said was that they had kids too early."

"And?"

"And I don't want to lose you! I've never really had friends and I can't let something come between us!" He yelled. Once he was finished, he closed his eyes tight, afraid of retaliation.

Her face softened. "That's..." She came down and drew him into another deep kiss. Once she was forced to end it to draw in a breath, she looked down at him with a gentle smile. "That is the most romantic thing I've ever heard."

"That wasn't my intention..." He said quietly.

"I promise, nothing is ever going to end our friendship. Sex only has the meaning that people give it. This is just a way to make both of us feel good. _Speaking of which_..." She shifted her body upwards, revealing her crotch to him. There, nestled between her amber folds, was a jet black mast of flesh, glistening in her juices.

He let out a yelp when he realized his defenses had fallen. She raised herself with her legs, releasing his member from the prison of her body, and allowing it to point proudly upwards. This of course put it in perfect position for her to lower herself onto. Her body lowered until his tip was pressing against her heated canine mound. She ducked down and kissed him on the nose right before she dropped her hips, taking his entire cock in a single stroke. She nestled right into his lap, being filled quite well, even without the knot.

"So, how's that?" She asked, gyrating her hips.

"Nice..." He murmured, not sounding sure and still looking away.

She lifted up again, using her powerful hind legs and resting on his chest for leverage. She dropped back down, returning his member to her velvet depths. This caused him to let out a very unmanly squeak. "What was that?! Speak up!" She demanded exaggeratedly, clearly enjoying this. He opened his mouth again, but she licked across his open maw, stealing his voice before it came out. It didn't help that she began a pattern of rising and slow drops.

On the inside, she was fitting of a fire type, and her anticipation had left her soaked, and consequently, him too. Her muscle work, whether from instinct or some unknown skill, was masterful, milking him for all he was worth. She began to put more power into her movements, and he couldn't help but let out muffled noises.

His lack of stamina was quickly becoming apparent, as his knot was growing, and the faint bursts of pre were more frequent. His throbbing was growing stronger with every passing moment, even when she was still. "Getting close?" She asked.

He groaned loudly. She sped up greatly, causing a squelching sound to echo through the clearing. She lowered her head, placing an ear to his chest and listening to his heart beat wildly. "C'mon, talk to me here. Are you about to bust a nut?" She egged him on.

His face scrunched up like before, but this time he was at the edge of a cliff. "Mystic... I... Mystic!" He shouted loudly, causing a few wild pokemon to scatter in the nearby woods. He brought up his forepaws, grabbed her hips and pulled down, while making his first thrust up into her. Several things happened in quick succession afterwards. His knot, soaked and engorged, slipped in, tying them together. This caused her to yelp out in surprise, and threw her off balance, making her topple backwards. As his knot was firmly embedded in her pussy, it tugged him along with it, causing him to end up lying on top of her.

There was a split second of stillness and silence, before the dam broke, a seed began to gush from Phantom, firing out with such force that it hit the top of her uterus. Combined with the girth of cock inside of her and the knot keeping it all sealed in, she was quickly filled up to the brim. She let out a pleased howl as her silken walls convulsed and squeezed him for dear life, eager to take as much sperm as he had to give, despite how full she already felt. Her body heated up even further, transferring warmth into him and coaxing an even bigger climax.

There was a long period where all they could hear was each other's panting. "Are you still awake?" Mystic asked.

"Yea..." He said quietly, head still lying next to hers.

"Thanks. That was wonderful. I hope we can do it again." She said, nuzzling against his ear.

"Yea..."

"And next time, it'll be better if you do all the work." She waited for a response, but he let out a quiet snore instead. Now that she thought about it, she could do with a quick nap.


	18. Chapter 16B (X)

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Carver the Absol

Chp 16 B

"Okay, have fun you two~" Ashley purred. They were certainly going to have fun, if they did what she thought they would. She left the dorms and happily trotted and skipped her way to the second floor. Things were going great for her, and her sister. She made it to the second floor of the main building and pressed her badge to Mt Frostorm. She kept her badge attached to one of her tails, which due to their fluffy nature, made the badge visible over her shoulder. While her tails might have looked like one solid entity, they were six separate ones, just like a regular vulpix, but with far more fur and frizz.

She flashed out of the room and appeared a few inches above the main road of her hometown. She looked up at the clock tower of the town hall, and saw that dad wouldn't have left for work yet. She breathed a sigh of relief and drew in a deep breath of the cold mountain air, before dashing towards home.

She arrived at home and used the hidden key to open it. She entered and called out, "Dad, I'm home!" She stepped around the corner to find him eating a bowl a cereal, milk dripping from his chops.

"I didn't expect you to come home so early. Done at the spa already?"

"Well, kinda. You see, I'm going to join Mystic and Phantom. I really wanna go with them, so..."

He let out a deep and sad sigh. "I knew you would move out one day... I just didn't expect it to be so soon. If you really want to, go ahead. I won't stop you from living your life." The ninetales closed his eyes and looked down.

"Daddy... Please. Don't worry. They're actually part of a big rescue team. I'll be safe with them, and I can come visit anytime."

"Yeah... Yeah, that sounds nice." He let out a powerful sigh. "Listen, you're adult enough to hear this. I'm scared. I don't want to be alone. First your sister, then your mother, and now you." He lowered his grief stricken face.

"Dad... I can't just stay here forever. I have to go and live a life, have adventures, start my own family."

"I know. But just don't forget about me. I'll always be your father and I'll always have room for you here."

She crossed around the table and kissed him on the cheek. "I promise. Maybe I'll even bring you some cool souvenirs."

"Thanks dear. Go on ahead. I've got to go to work soon."

She smiled and nodded. "See you later!" She yelled back at him as she went outside. Now that that was taken care of, she had one other thing she was planning on doing. She went through the town to a familiar building near the town hall. She entered Tempting Vixens and made a beeline for the rear of the building. Vix was a business genius and the place was a strip club by night and a skimpy bar and grill by day. There was even a smoker out back. She had also put a few TVs on the walls and a projector and screen taking up the catwalk.

Ashley entered the back room and saw Vix sitting and drinking a small glass of wine.

"Ashy!" She said in greeting upon seeing her. "What are you doing in here so early? The dancing doesn't start for a long time, and now's an off time. We really don't have anything for you to do..." She said in her usual seductress voice.

"I wasn't coming to work. I came to tell you that I got a new job. I'm on a rescue team!" Ashley said excitedly.

"That's perfectly fine. You weren't even technically an employee. Though the local males will be sad to see you go."

"Poor them, but I've got shit to do." She said proudly.

"I'll let you go just fine, on one condition. You've gotta have lunch with me."

"Alright, I don't have any plans for the day."

"Great, go ahead and take a seat. I'm gonna go tell the chef to cook up something special." The delphox said, polishing off the rest of her drink and going the back way to the kitchen.

The building when originally built had been a warehouse, but was abandoned and Vix bought it, turning it into what it is now. The open space was perfect to manipulate into exactly what she wanted. There was the small entryway, where a bouncer would be on particularly busy nights, and the main room. The stools, chairs and tables were not mounted to the floor, allowing them to be moved and shifted according to the needs. Behind the catwalk was the dressing room and locker room, and there was a corridor there connecting to the kitchen on the other side of the building. In front of that was the bar, which was open nearly all the time, during both halves of operation.

Ashley went out and sat down at on of the wall booths and waited for Vix. While she did she looked around the room. There were only four other patrons, a pair of arcanine at a table (one of which she remembered), and two pokemon at the bar, an absol and a grovyle. Jess the mawile was behind the bar, and she stepped away to take some chicken wings to the arcanine.

A short while later, Vix came out from the kitchen, carrying a tray with a large rack of barbecue ribs. "Here you go, fresh as can be, just for you." She set the tray down on the table and sat down on the other side. "No need to explain anything. I was once young, with dreams and ambitions. Now I'm here. So you go out there and make them come true. Just enjoy yourself, on the house."

"Thanks Vix." She said, beginning to eat. The pork was drenched in sauce, as was the tradition, and it got all over her white fur, staining it a brownish color.

"Hey Ash," Vix eventually said.

"Hmm?"

"Looks like you've got a fan." She said, pointing over to the bar. The absol was looking their way. When Ashley turned to look, they locked eyes for a moment. When that happened, he smiled kindly and winked, before turning back to the bar. "Why don't you talk to him? One last hurrah."

"I'm not so sure. I don't know when I need to be back."

"Oh, come on! I'll even get the ball rolling." Vix stood and went over to the bar, talked with him for a moment, and disappeared into the kitchen. He then hopped down and crossed the room to her booth.

"Well hello miss. You know Vix?"

"Do you? I don't recognize you..." She said a bit dismissively.

"Well, that's because I'm a traveler, a nomad of sorts. Carver." He said, offering his paw.

Ashley wasn't sure what to do. She didn't really want to socialize, but neither did she want to be rude. She settled for shaking his paw, hesitantly. He climbed into the seat opposite her.

"I knew Vix from a while ago, back when she opened this place. I'm not surprised she didn't remember who I was with the amount of people that must come through a tourist town like this. Quite the business she built here."

"Yea..." She said, trying to sound uninterested.

"I'm not one of those savages who only wants a girl for more carnal reasons. I mean, come on, I deserve some credit."

"How did-"

"I know? Like I said, I've been around. I've seen a lot. I even consider myself a bit of a knight, like from the old story books, like the Aegislash in the Stone. I would have joined the rescue federation if it wasn't so restricted. I need my freedom, to flow with the wind."

"Then what are you doing in a strip club?"

"I don't see a strip club. What I see right now is a restaurant. And whatever someone wants to do, let them, as long as it doesn't hurt others, you know."

"I guess, but that does sound kinda sleazy."

"Tell you what. You go back to eating and I'll entertain you with tales of my adventures. All true, swear on my life." He said, crossing his throat with a claw.

"Sure, whatever." She said, lowering her head back to her now colder food.

"So, on my way here, I passed through a section of forest that was under the control of a highly territorial nidoking. After a run-in with him, I managed to convince him I was just on the path, and would go around his land. But after I saw how he treated his mate, a lovely little nidoqueen, abusing her constantly, for no reason, I decided to intervene. So instead of walking on by, I went straight into his den, and beat him to a bloody pulp. As I did, I just happened to save a breloom he was about to rape. And as a reward for saving them, they... well, they say a lady never kisses and tells, and neither should I. My other name is the wandering lover, or as some have called me, the world's greatest lover."

"Hmph, sounds kinda rich. You did swear on your life..."

"Madam, you insult me. I never tell a lie, especially to a lady as charming as you."

"Flattering." She said sarcastically.

"Well my apologies. I see you do not want company. As such, I will take my leave. Have a nice day, beautiful." He said, blowing a kiss to her before getting up.

"Wait, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude." Ashley said quickly. "Come back. I could do with someone to talk to."

He turned back and smiled kindly, seemingly unaffected by the change in her tone. "Of course. Sorry for being so drastic. Just a moment, I'll be back." He went back to the bar, grabbed the basket of cheese fries he had been eating and brought it back to her table. "Care for some?" He offered, pushing it over towards her.

"Thanks." She said, sounding a bit confused for some reason. She reached over and took one. "How about another story, but more exciting."

"Oh, I see, a girl of action. My greatest adventure in my opinion was my exploration through an underwater cave. But not any underwater cave, this one was on the ocean floor. I had to get a ride inside a wailord's mouth to get down there. I had heard rumors of a legendary pokemon called manaphy having it's nest there. I only went out of curiosity, but sadly, the journey trumped the destination, and I found nothing. Though the trip itself was so amazing that it might as well have been legendary."

"Wow, how did you even figure out that it existed?" She asked, genuinely interested now.

"The world has many wondrous things. Legends and myth are often based on truth. It's all about going out and chasing it."

"I might do just that." She said, finishing off the last of her food, leaving a pile of barbecue stained bones behind. "Well, I have stuff to do, so I have to go."

"Orrrrrr..." He offered. His paw came up, stretched across the table, and wiped a bit of sauce from her cheek before bringing it back and licking it off his claw.

Ashley noticed movement behind him, at the door to the back rooms. Vix was there, holding one paw in a circle, and poking a finger into that circle. When she saw Ashley's incredulous look, she snickered and ducked away, just when Carver turned to see what Ashley was looking at. "Or what?"

"You tell me. Maybe we could go do something."

"Like an adventure?" She asked suspiciously.

"Sure, I know of a nearby dungeon we could go explore. Could be fun, but also dangerous."

"It'll be fine, I'm a member of a rescue team." She said, moving her tails aside to show him her badge.

"Ah, a fellow adventurer. That's plenty enough qualification. Who knows, maybe you'll even show me up."

*Damn, why did I ask him to come back? He seems like a nice enough gentleman, unless he's full of shit, but... fuck it. Might as well go along. This could be fun. If he tries anything though, I'll bite his dick off.* Ashley thought as they walked side by side out into the snowy lands.

"We're almost there. So would you like to lead, or should I?"

"What? Why does somebody have to lead?" She asked. She knew that that's how teams typically went, but if she was in the rear, she'd have to look at his balls. If she was in the front, he'd be eyeing her constantly.

"Isn't that standard practice?"

"Well, I'm from around here. So I know that this dungeon isn't as cramped as most, so we can go side by side. And don't get any ideas Casanova. This is for the adventure."

"Of course! I would never harm an innocent soul." He said, sounding honestly hurt.

"Sorry, but with all our stories..."

"My apologies for painting a inappropriate picture. I was merely telling the tales as they happened. Considering you were in a strip club, sitting with the owner, I would assume that you were... Sorry about that."

"So why did you ask me to come out here? If that was your intention, a dungeon is the last place to go."

"Then you assumed something about me as well. Quite the miscommunication we had. Let's start again. I'm Carver, a traveler who has many friends all over the world. I often help those in need, and am fond of treasure hunting."

"Well, I'm Ashley. That's about it. So why did you invite me to go here?"

"Well, I could see you were a local, and thus would know the local area. I've heard of some rare crystals located at the deepest point of this forest."

"What, the ice diamonds?"

"Yes. I want to find them."

"You could just buy one in town..."

"But where is the fun in that?"

"I feel you there. Anyways, we're here, so let's do this."

They were standing in front of a near impenetrable wall of snow encrusted evergreen trees, with only a small path to enter the forest. "Ready?" He asked.

"Yea. Most people avoid this place, but I'm a curious girl, so I came anyways. Most of the wild pokemon are ice type, so you're going to have to do most of the heavy lifting."

"Can do."

"And, the bigger paths, means more pokemon are going to be after us at once."

"I might look majestic, but I can be rough when times get tough."

"I hope. Cuz this forest is owned by an abomasnow. He's notorious for coming out and terrorizing the town. It takes the entire town banding together to chase him back."

"Well, then we'll just have to steal the diamonds and escape without getting caught. A real heist. I'm joking of course. Tell me if these things are like a local treasure or something."

"They aren't. We sell 'em to tourists, they're just expensive cuz of how hard they are to get."

"Perfect." He said. They both proceeded forward and into the dungeon.

"You've got to be shitting me!" Ashley shouted. Right in front of them, was the stairs. "That's the entrance to the cave, right here. We'll find the gems in there. They grow everywhere, so we can just chip one off the big crystals and go."

"What, are you complaining?"

"Not really, it's just weird."

"Must be my lucky ribbon." He said, showing her the ribbon tied around his left shoulder. "It was given to me by my first love before... Anyways, let's get some treasure."

They headed forward but a sudden gust of icy wind slowed them down. With it, came a barrage of hail, battering the both of them.

"Oh shit." Ashley said. "The rumors say that bad weather is a warning that Abomasnow is coming. We need to get out of here, like now."

"But we're so close! What if the dungeon changes before we come back?!" He yelled above the howling wind.

A loud roar sounded out above the storm, accompanied by a falling tree. Ashley fired an ice beam towards the sound, hastily creating a barrier of ice on the trees. "Seriously, this bastard is serious business. We have to run!"

"Come on! We can hide in the cave and get the treasure!"

"Treasure isn't worth dying over! If you wanna die, go ahead, I'm getting out of here." She said, turning and dashing back out of the woods. Once clear of the trees and back on the main path, she escaped the localized hailstorm. She stopped to look back, seeing very low lying clouds, sprinkling snow and hail down onto the forest. And they were getting closer. "Dammit, that idiot." She said aloud, shaking her head. She began to walk further away, very slowly. He kept nagging her mind. She howled angrily. "Fuck!" She shouted, turning back and running into the forest again.

"Back off, big guy!" Carver yelled. "I'm not here to intrude, I'm just exploring."

"Then get out!" Abomasnow roared. He smashed right through the barrier that Ashley had formed and angrily stepped into the room.

"That's the thing. You see, I need to go into that cave. My friend is dying, and her last wish was to see an ice diamond. I have to get one and take it to her."

"I don't care!" He charged forward, swinging one of his colossal arms at Carver.

Carver leapt up, gracefully using his slim body and the beasts arm to gain air before backflipping away. In midair, his body clenched, and he landed on all fours a distance away. He reeled back and spun his body, swinging his tail through the air. The razor wind he created flew forward, spraying snow into the air along the way, until it crashed into Abomasnow, craving bloody lines along his body. This seemingly had no effect other than angering the snow monster further.

He formed a large chunk of ice and threw it at breakneck speed at the absol, using it as a distraction to gain ground. The ice shard hit Carver, too fast to avoid, and knocked him to the side. Abomasnow was upon him just as he got back to his feet, but the incoming attack was special. The ice types maw opened wide and he let out another roar, accomanied by a wave of cold. Carver tried to ecape, but his body locked up, and the temperature was dropping fast. He looked down and saw ice forming around his paws. And it was steadily creeping upwards.

"Back off!" Ashley shouted, the orb of dark energy in front of her shattering into a wave of attacks, hitting Abomasnow in the back. The payback attack was at full power, catching him mostly unaware.

He roared again and turned to go after her, breaking his concentration, and the growing ice. It quickly faded, allowing Carver to move again. He quickly looked around, trying to spot some way to resolve this. He saw it, and made his move.

Ashley darted forward at the lumbering pokemon, hitting him with an ineffctive tackle. He grabbed her before she hit the ground, and tossed her to the side, the snow softening the impact. Carver was at her side, stepping over her in a defensive manner, and dropping the orb at his feet.

"See ya!" He said, before touching it, causing both of them to disappear.

"Where... hah, where are we?" Ashley asked, still catching her breath, and recovering from the flood of adrenaline.

"My den. Escape orbs teleport you to where you consider home after all."

"But aren't you a traveller?"

"Doesn't mean I can't have a home. I just like going places. I'm not here very often, so forgive me for the dust." He said, stepping away from her. "I should have some supplies around here somewhere..." He said, going into another room. She followed him to find him digging thourgh a hole, filled with random stuff. He pulled out an escape orb and rolled it over to her. "Here you go."

"What? That's it?"

"Well, yea. The adventure was a bust. Sucks, but it happens sometimes. Thanks for coming along anyways."

"That's really anticlimactic."

"Well, what did you expect?"

"I dunno, something cool, or something. Anything but this."

"Isn't running away what you originally suggested." He said.

"Yea, but we were gonna go back after he left."

"So... what, you want to do something else?" He sat down.

She couldn't help but steal a glance between his legs. His white fur hid it well, but there was a sizable sheath hidden there.

"Oh, I see." He said, catching her gaze. "Why didn't you just say so?"

*Well, he has been nothing but nice to me...* "Fuck it." Ashley said.

"I believe you meant 'me', instead of 'it'. 'It' is far too ugly a term for a beuaty such as you." He said, beckoning with a paw.

"That was terrible." She muttered. Nevertheless, she approached. A wide grin grew on his face the closer she got.

"Well that hurt my pride." He said in mock pain. "Maybe a kiss would make it feel better."

"Seriously. Can the jokes." She said. She knelt down and was now inches away from his sheath. A blue tip was poking out from the white fur. She brought up a paw and ground it against the tip, pleasuring him with soft pawpads. His manhood quickly grew, becoming larger and larger, as Ashley looked on in amazement. As it extended she brought up another paw and ran it slowly down the side, feeling the small nubs on the tip. More flesh kept rising, giving her more to play with. When it stopped she had to step away. "Wow..." She said in total awe.

"See something you like?" He said, wriggling his rear on the floor and causing the tower of pleasure to wobble. It was around ten inches of veined and throbbing azure flesh, nubs on the top and knot on the bottom, though it hadn't started swelling yet. It easily was reached halfway up his body.

"How is it so big!? I mean, I've seen big cock before, but not on a pokemon your size."

"Some say I was gifted. I prefer to think of it as a gift to the female."

"Is that really going to fit?"

"Only one way to find out." He rose up, but she remained facing him. "What is it?"

She said nothing, instead walking forward. She ducked under his chest and wrapped her lips around him, suckling lightly. Her mouth work didn't last long, but she made sure to wet every inch. She then turned and walked out from under him, purposefully rubbing her back against him and dragging her tails across his sensitive bits. When they cleared his eyes, he saw her with her tails fanned above her rear, allowing him his first glance at her nethers. Her white fur gave way to a light pink cunny. It barely stood out from her fur.

He approached, climbing over her body, though he was too large to properly mount her, so he stood over her instead. When he lined up the tip, it just resting on her labia, she whimpered.

"Go easy. I'm no virgin, but you're huge."

"Of course." He said, licking the tuft of hair on top of her head before nibbling gently on the tip of an ear. He slowly eased himself in, spreading Ashley wide. She grunted and whined as he went deeper and deeper until he bottomed out, three fourths inside her and his tip touching her cervix.

"Fuck, don't move!" She moaned, sounding pained.

"Just relax your body. It will stop soon. Then you can take the rest."

"The rest?! You're already at my limit. No knot for you."

"If that's what you want." He murred, rubbing his chin against her. "Ready?"

She took a few more deep breaths. Her loins still felt absolutly full, but the pain of the stretch was only a dull ache now. "Al- ugnh." She grunted as he began moving again.

He adjusted his stance and she was now completely eclipsed by his white form. This shift caused his member to nearly escape her. He turned his head back and looked at her with a lustful smirk. "You're soaked." He said, hilting in again to accent his point. "Sure you don't want the knot?"

"No, I've- ah! Got things to do." She said, inturrpted by his next thrust. "Fuck! That's good." She moaned out when he bottomed out and ground his tip agianst her cervix. Her tails reflexivly wrapped around his midsection and pulled them even closer together.

"Even for a girl your size, I've never had one so tight. Are you sure you're not a virgin?"

"Yea, it's just, mmm." A shiver ran through her body. "It's been a while. Damn growlithe..." She muttered.

"Oh, have a bad time?" He asked with concern, even stopping his thrusts with his member buried inside her.

"Yea, my first boyfriend was an ass." She said sadly. "He just wanted sex and then bailed on me once he got it."

"I'm sorry about that. But I assure you, I'm not some scumbag. If you're looking for a boyfriend, I could use a traveling partner."

"No thanks. I've got my own things going on."

"Well then, if you ever need a good lay... let me give you a reason to come back." He started again, at nearly twice the previous pace. His motions quickly made up for the lost pleasure. He lowered his stance and began to put more power into ever pound. Despite a fourth of his cock not being in her, his hefty sack swung forward and brushed against her belly, not quite smacking into her. "I really like your chill. I don't feel so hot and sweaty and it's still nice and cozy inside. I could get used to ice types."

She let out a lightheaded giggle, the euphoria coursing through her veins getting to her. "My pleasure." She wanted to start putting her own force into his thrusts, but she was afraid of how deep it might go. And he was doing plenty of a good job by himself.

Her passage was absolutely soaked and every inward thrust was accompanied by a squish and a bit of a squirt from her stuffed pussy. Her body temperature was not at its usual cold level, and was heating up slowly as her excitement built. It was enough to keep them both cool, without giving him chills like regular prolonged contact would cause. Her passage was on a similar trend, though its natural temperature was much higher when aroused compared to her body. It was only few degrees cooler than a normal pokemon's body temperature at this point. If she was mating another ice type however, there would be a layer of frost leftover in the room.

Her silken walls were almost as soft as her fur, almost, but she had developed great skill with her hips, allowing her to make subtle movements and grinds to make sure his tip would rub just the right spots on the way in and out. Little did she notice, but he had steadily been getting more and more into her, and eventually, his knot began slapping at her canine vulva. "What..." She muttered.

"I told you it would fit."

"That knot will not fit!" She yelled. It was massive, nearly three times as thick as his cock. Just the feeling of it tapping her rear was worrying. It would split her right down the middle!

"If you don't want it, that's fine. I don't need it to make you squeal." He moved again, thrusting so deep and hard that it lifted her rear into the air. True to his word, she let out a squeaky moan of surprise. Before she could realize what had happened, he started furociasly pounding into her, keeping her body suspended. She couldn't help but move back, trying to get more length out of every thrust. Her front end could only lay there and drool, her mind turned numb by the sheer pleasure. Her chest and cheek were ground against the stone floor with every pound. As her pleasure quickly mounted, her cervix dialated and opened for him, allowing his tip to squeeze just inside. That tiny bit of depth was just what she needed. Her pleasure hit new hieghts and she screamed out as a wave of honey splashed out of her, hitting the floor with a splat.

Her convulsing cunny was just what Carver needed to hit his climax. He hilted in and held, his entire body tensing as seed began to flow from his loaded balls. His pointed tip was pressed tight to her womb and it quickly was filled to the brim with liquid absol. The volume of seed grew and grew, her belly stretching out slightly to contain it, until the pressure grew to great, forcing his tip away and allowing the cum to flood out of her. He pulled out, member still letting out spurts of jizz, getting it all over her back and the floor. This puddle mixed with what was dripping out of her, quickly making a sizable white pool.

All she could do was lie there and pant while he painted her even whiter with spunk. After about a minute the flow slowed and he sat back, his cock still dribbling streams down itself and his balls. "That, was great." He said, reaching forward and spreading her rear to see the creampie he gave her.

"Dammit..." She muttered. "I said I have stuff to do!" She yelled, all of her energy seemingly coming out of nowhere.

"Sorry." He said, smiling and rubbing the back of his head. "I got carried away." He reached behind him and rolled out the escape orb, pushing it over to her. "There's a stream outside if you want to clean up."

"Thanks, I guess." She got back to her feet and wiped a paw across her cheek to clean the slober off. She turned and was face to face with the sizable puddle of seed. "Geez. Good thing you didn't knot me. I would've popped."

"That was nothing. You should see me when I'm backed up." He bragged.

She took a step forward, around the puddle and gave his member one more slurp, licking up the remaining seed. "Tasty." She commented, before grabbing the orb and leaving his den. As he said, there was a stream. Above the trees, she could see the sun. And it was past noon. "Shit, they're probably wondering where I am." She jumped into the water, shook around a bit, made sure to get all the sperm off her, sneaking a few licks of it in the process, and got out. She then pressed her paw to the orb, while thinking of the base. ." She jumped into the water, shook around a bit, made sure to get all the sperm off her, sneaking a few licks of it in the process, and got out. She then pressed her paw to the orb, while thinking of the base.


	19. Chapter 17

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Chp 17

"Thanks for going along with me." Mystic said when they both awoke.

"It was nice..." He said shyly.

"Need another round to cement it?"

"Maybe later." He said, not intending for it to sound an offer.

She smiled happily. "Good to hear. We should probably go see if Ashley's back."

"So, how did you know all that stuff?"

"I dunno. Instinct I guess."

"Well, mating is instinct, but you knew, and have known for a long time about all that stuff. Stuff you wouldn't know if you had no memory."

"About that. Ashley and I were talking, and she thinks that I still have something, locked away in my head. Like, I know she's my real sister, for some reason. So maybe if we find a super strong psychic type, he can read my brain. Maybe certain events remind me of things or something."

"Hmm." Phantom said, rubbing his chin. "Maybe Hunter would know someone. Let's go ask him." He started to leave the clearing, but her laughter stopped him. "What?"

"You gonna go out there like that, and me like this?" She asked, spinning around to show her matted fur. "We should clean up first."

When they arrived back at the base, Hunter was sitting outside, right in front of the main door. Upon seeing them, he stood from the rock he was sitting on and nodded.

"What are you doing out here?" Mystic asked.

"The watchman for today is me. The staff alternates that job. There's no new news, but that could be considered a good thing." He said, placing his claw on his chest.

"So, we need to meet with a powerful psychic pokemon."

"Alright. I know of one. But he and his team live far away. I can send a message for him, but it will take a few days to reach him."

"Why can't you just teleport to him?" Phantom asked.

"He lives on another continent. The badge recall function only works at a certain distance. But the mail pelipper can get letters across the ocean no problem. I'll send one as soon as I can, and let you know."

"Alright, thanks. I think it could help me with my memories." Mystic explained. "Oh yea, so we're thinkin' about getting our own base. Any ideas, tips?"

"Well, there is a little plot of land that went up for sale. It's just outside of town, towards the east. It's mostly undeveloped, except for little hut. It should be cheap, for land. You'd spend more money building there."

"We should go check it out." Phantom told her.

"Yea. Hunter, if Ashley comes through, would you send her our way?"

"Your white vulpix friend? Of course." He said, returning to his seat.

A short while later, Phantom and Mystic arrived at the place. The for sale sign said 100,000 poke and to contact a "Sir Chance Von Trist the Wigglytuff". The land itself was quite small, and had no visual borders. All that was there were trees and a rotting shack. It was bordered on the edge of the forest, and remarkably close to path, town and beach.

"Pretty good for the price. But no way we can afford it right now."

"Then we'd best get to making some cash. C'mon, she should be back by now and we can get to work."

On their way back, they ran into Ashley. "Hey guys!" She yelled upon spotting them.

"Where have you been? I thought you we're just going to say goodbye." Mystic asked.

"I got, uh, sidetracked. Anyways, how's the house?"

"Rough. But with our budget, it's the best we can do. We're gonna go get a job, and try to make some money."

"My first mission! Let's do this!" Ashley yelled, deepening her voice.

"Not to be rude, but you smell sweaty." Phantom commented.

"Don't ask a girl about her hygiene!" Ashley shouted, lightly bapping him on the nose with a tail.

Another short while and they were at the mission board. Phantom was in charge of picking one, and he scanned over the letters and their listed rewards. Berries, TMs, Ribbons... Only one mission offered any poke. He took the letter down and tore into it.

"To whomever it may concern," It began, written in an extreme cursive. The rest was in normal font. "I require two rare items for my collection: A Fairy gem and a Dragon gem. Offering 200,000 poke each, 100,000 poke extra for both (500,000 total). Signed," It returned to cursive, but was so fancy that it was illegible. Underneath was printed "Sir Chance Von Trist the Wigglytuff."

"Hey, it's the same guy who's selling the land. Maybe we could negotiate a deal with him. But first, finding those two gems is going to really match the reward. Type gems are normally found where those types live, and we need two of them, so we'll have to split up." Phantom said.

"Why spilt up? We should stick together and take our time if this is going to be tough." Ashley complained.

"Because missions are put up every day. We got the letter for today, but if we don't complete it, or somebody took the job earlier, it'll come up again tomorrow and somebody else could do it first. We gotta be fast."

"Alright, so what's the plan?" Mystic asked.

"Ashley and I will go after the dragon one, if you and Zys will go after the fairy one."

"Zys? Are you sure?"

"Yea. He'll keep you safe."

"But he's strong. Why doesn't he go to fight the dragons?"

"Because ice is really strong against them, but Ashley and Zys can't go out together. She still needs to learn to adventure."

"Hey!" She yelled.

"So the two of us will go, and you can look after Zys. He'll listen to you."

"Wait, what about the item box? We only have one."

"We'll shop separately. The reward will cover the expenses, so buy whatever you need, including another box."


	20. Chapter 18

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Zys the Deoxys

Chp 18 Part 1

"Alright then, let's stock up. We'll need berries, something for burns, some food, useful orbs..." Phantom continued listing off the things they needed.

"We should get some move boosters. Dragons are strong." Ashley added.

"Hmm? Move boosters? I already have a ribbon that does that."

"Well, I don't. And buying some nevermelt ice is way cheaper than a ribbon. And I'm gonna be the one kickin' ass."

"Good point. Okay, you go get the orbs and the ice, I'll get the food."

"Uhh, I don't have any poke on me..."

"Oh, all our team's money is tied to our badges. Just let them scan it." He opened the box and tipped it towards her. "We've got this much space."

She nodded back. "Got it."

When she turned away, he breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't yet adjusted to her yet. She still made him uncomfortable with her forward personality. Mystic was one thing, but she was on a whole other level. How could someone be so... energetic? Even when she was in a place like this, he could feel the energy coming off of her. He shook his head and went to buy the berries.

Shortly later, they reconvened, Ashley dumping a bag of goodies at his feet. "Alright, let's hit it, day light's burning."

"You bought escape orbs right? This is going to be really dangerous."

"What do you think I am? Stupid?"

"Sorry..." He said, wincing.

"It's a saying. I wasn't trying to be mean." She said offhandedly. "C'mon. The anticipation is killing me!" She whined quickly.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. We can't rush this."

"Yea, I know that." She said with a large amount of sass. She motioned with her head for him to follow her out. She led the way out through the yard, stopping to wave at Mystic as she came out of the dorms, and into the main building. They went up and into the map room. "So, where to?"

"Destruction Valley." He said nervously. "All I've ever heard is how dangerous this place is, but... no way we can find a dragon gem anywhere else." He walked over towards the east end, near a large canyon painting. Near it, were several mountains, and then the ocean. He looked down at it and took a deep breath. "It's for our future." He said quietly to himself before pressing his badge onto the canyon.

"AHHH!" He screamed out as he fell. He had appeared a few feet in the air and fell head first into a pool of water with a colossal splash. In total panic, he accidently let out a burst of electricity, shocking the pond. He surfaced with a gasp and swam over to the edge and climbed out, water dripping from him. Once he caught his breath, he turned back to the water. There was a horsea in the water, looking angrily up at him. "Sorry..." He muttered, ashamed of himself.

"Oh shit!" Ashley yelled from behind him. She had similarly appeared in the air, but not over the water. "Ow..." She groaned upon landing. But she was back up on her feet. "I'm fine." She said, repeating it over and over while walking circles and hopping up and down. She eventually calmed down and looked over at him. "You look like a drowned rat." She said.

"Yea, whatever. We should get looking." He gave his coat one last shake and started moving. Destruction Valley was not a dungeon, so the area was mostly open, but that didn't make it any safer. Many dragon types made their nests around here and the name came from the destruction their fighting brings, leaving the area mostly a wasteland. They followed a slope down, further into the canyon. They both froze when an echoing roar shattered the silence. Up above, several shadowy shapes darted through the sky, spewing gouts of purple flames at each other.

"Holy fuck." Ashley muttered. "Yea, maybe we should be quiet." One of the salamence swooped low, causing a gust of wind to blow past them.

Phantom lifted a paw to his lips. "Shh. We're small so just stay quiet and they won't spot us." He moved out of the middle of the path and got close to the rock walls. She followed his lead and joined him against the wall.

"Not like I'm scared." She said. "I can take those overgrown lizards. I just don't want to right now."

"Yea, okay. Keep your eyes peeled for anything sparkly." They continued on as the dragons fought overhead, loud roars often filling the air. The canyon was slowly sloping downwards, and several small streams and puddles were everywhere, formed by the scars of battles past. They continued on, until Phantom stopped dead in his tracks.

"What?" She whispered after looking around.

He said nothing, but his eyes were trained on a cliff above them. The clouds parted briefly and something small sparkled up there. "Bingo. How do we get up there?" They both looked around, but the distant cliff was jutting out of the side of the canyon, with no path to it.

"I have an idea." She said. She looked around, before stepping out into the open. "HEY! Come on out you pussy!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

Phantom's mouth fell open. Before he could ask her what the hell she was thinking, a noivern swooped down and landed in front of her.

"What was that!?" He roared, blowing her fur back with just his voice.

"Hi. I was wondering if you would help us get up there." She said, pointing up at the cliff.

"Why you little..." He growled. His dish shaped ears wriggled a bit before a horrible sound echoed out. The volume increased sharply and the ground shook, rock splitting. A small explosion appeared out of nowhere near Ashley, knocking her aside.

Phantom dashed into action, gritting his teeth as the sound coming from Noivern got even louder. He leapt into the air and tackled him with his electrified body. The impact did little to harm the dragon, but it did cause him to stop releasing sound waves. Ashley got back up and fired an ice beam at Noivern, creating a line of ice across his chest. 

This caused him to roar in pain, falling backwards and hissing wildly while clawing at his chest. Ashley moved forward and pounced onto his chest. She opened her mouth and readied another ice beam, shooting it right next to his head. "Now, you're gonna take us up there."

Noivern bared his teeth and leaned forward, trying to bite Ashley, but she let out a breath of frozen air, which he stuck his head right into. He howled out again, and in his flailing, smashed his head back onto the rocks. This caused his resistance to stop.

"Just fly us up there, and we'll leave you alone." Ashley said. She bared her fangs. "Or, I can kill you right here."

"Fuckin' bitch." He growled. "Fine." He rolled over, his body still shaking and lowered his body for them to climb onto.

"And don't try anything funny either." She warned as they both got on. He slowly flapped his wings and took to the air, staying low until he got to the cliff. He stopped just shy, allowing them to jump off onto the ledge.

That was when they noticed something. A nest was situated on the cliff and right in the middle of it, surrounded by three eggs, was a royal purple colored gem. Behind the nest was a small cave, presumably the den of whatever laid the eggs.

"Hah! Found it!" Ashley cheered. Behind her, Noivern flew away at high speed, not wanting to deal with the small ice type.

"This is bad. We should grab it and go." Phantom said.

"Thieves!" A deep female voice growled. A large female haxorus stepped into the light. "Get away!" She roared, firing a ball of purple fire at them. Stuck as they were on the edge of a high cliff, there was little room to dodge. Ashley moved to the side, but that left Phantom with no place to go. He stepped back with one paw, but it was half off the side when it came down. His claws came out and dug in for purchase, but the rocky ground was unyielding. The ball of flame hit him in the face, the force of it pushing him back.

This left him with only his forepaws on solid ground. His lower half quickly succumbed to gravity, leaving him grasping at the cliff, holding on for dear life.

Ashley had her attention wholly on the haxorus. She lowered her stance, and her fur bristled outwards. A wave of frost came off of her, scattering snow and hail around her. This cloud of frozen water flew forward, creating a blizzard of ice around the haxorus. Alongside this, the temperature plummeted, causing a layer of frost to cover the ledge. This had the unintended side effect of making Phantom lose his grip.

He fell, letting out a fearful howl while scrambling to grab at his badge and recall before he hit the ground. His descent was abruptly stopped, but he wasn't dead. He hardly felt any pain at all. His muscles relaxed from being completely clinched, and he looked up. He saw Zys looking down at him, his eyes wide. Zys floated back up and set Phantom down back on the ledge. When Phantom turned back to look at him, he was gone again.

The haxorus was entirely encased in ice now, frozen solid. Ashley looked back at him, panting from exertion. "You okay?" She asked.

He reached up and rubbed his face, feeling a few burnt hairs but he was otherwise alright. "Yea. Let's get out of here before she thaws." He gingerly stepped forward, wary of the ice and snow covering the ground, and got into the nest. There was little ice in it, but plenty of snow, enough to cover up the eggs halfway. He stepped around, grabbed the gem and put it away.

"Sweet, let's blow this place. What are you doing?" She asked when he didn't move away.

He brushed the eggs off, clearing the snow off of them. "We can't leave them here, help me push them into the cave." He told her. She realized what she had almost done, and quickly helped him.

Once the eggs were out of the cold, they left the cave. The haxorus was almost thaw, the ice growing thin.

"Ok, we got it. I hope Mystic is doing alright..." He said, fiddling with his badge, before they both warped home.

Chp 18 Part 2

After they split up, Mystic made her way towards the dorms. Once inside, she went to their room and found Zys sitting inside, looking out the window.

"Hey Zys. Wanna go on an adventure?"

He turned away and looked at her for a moment, before nodding. She wished he had more of a face, as the only thing that showed emotion was his eyes, and they were as stoic as ever.

"Alright then, let's go do some shopping, then we'll go." She turned and left the room, followed by him. Once outside, she spotted Phantom and Ashley across the yard and waved at them. They waved back and went into the main building. "Hope they'll be alright." She said, a bit worried. Zys rubbed her back with one tentacle, as if he was trying to comfort her.

She looked up at him and nodded. "Yea, they're tough. We just have to do our part." She led him over to the market. They went inside, him following closely the entire time, and she went around buying everything they needed.

Once they were done, the box had some berries and an apple. Once they were back out in the yard, she turned and looked at Zys. "Okay, so we need to go get a fairy gem. We should probably go find Hunter and ask him where to go." They went to the main building and out the front, where Hunter was still on guard duty.

"Hey Hunter, we need a fairy gem. Any ideas?"

"Well, they can usually be found where fairy types live. I would recommend going to Lovely Meadow. It's an area frequented by fairy types, and is quite popular among tourists. It should be mostly safe there. Fairy types aren't very aggressive."

"Okay, thanks."

"Look for pink trees to the northwest." He told them as they went back in and around the corner to the stairs.

Once they were in the map room, she started at the southern most point, Journey Town, then traced a line upwards. She came across an area that looked like a forest, except the green leaves were painted pink. "Guess this is it. Hold on tight." She told Zys. Once he was touching her, she touched her badge to the spot.

A moment later, they appeared on the ground in a small clearing, surrounded by pink and flowery trees. "So it wasn't a mistake. Wow," She said, looking around. "They're so pretty." All over, there were butterflies and cutiefly, dancing among the trees and flowers. Her ears perked up as she heard a faint murmuring in the distance. "C'mon. This way." She said, motioning for Zys to follow.

She crossed through the trees, spraying up the fallen leaves in her path, creating a trail of pink and red. They eventually broke through the trees and came into another clearing, much larger than the last. "Oh..." Mystic said, not sure how to react to what she saw.

In the clearing were many pokemon, all engaged in some form of sex. There were even several piles of pokemon, all rutting and humping at each other. The air had some sort of pink pollen floating visibly through it. Mystic's nose twitched when she smelled it. It was like sugar, but there was something more to it: the smell of sex and lust.

"Hello there, sexy." A voice said.

Her head snapped to the left to see the source. There was a sylveon, obviously male, based on his erection bobbing in the air as he walked closer.

"How about we get down to it?" He suggested.

"How about we don't. I'm here for-"

"I'm sorry. I must have rushed you. I'm Prince. Welcome to Lovely Meadow, mating capital of the world."

"Hunter didn't say anything about this... So, I came here to-"

"Yes, yes, the same reason anyone comes here. I'd be honored to fulfill your every desire."

"Shut up and let me talk!" She yelled.

His mouth dropped and he looked shocked. "I... I'm sorry..." He said, sounding incredibly depressed. He turned away and walked off, his tail tucked between his legs and a faint whimper.

"Well if you didn't act like such a jerk..." Mystic muttered. "Anyways, let's get lookin'. Maybe someone around here knows something." She scanned the area, but saw nothing worthwhile.

"Maybe I can help." Another voice said, this time from the other direction. This one was also much more feminine. Mystic turned her head to see a large mega gardevoir looking down at her. "I heard your desire."

"Oh brother." Mystic complained. "What is with this place!?"

"You mistake me. I sense why you came here. You are different than all these others." She moved her hand, referencing to the mating field. "You came here for a fairy gem, yes?" She asked.

"Yea, we're a rescue team, and we got a job to get one." Mystic said.

"Ah, I am familiar with your kind. They often come here on vacation. Very well, come with me."

"Thanks. Come on Zys." Mystic said.

"%%%%." He buzzed behind her. She turned her head to see him looking at the mating pokemon with a confused look.

"It's nothing. We got a job to do." She said, snapping him out of it.

"Very well, follow me. We have a tourist shop, but I assume you would rather find your own."

"Yep. We're trying to make money, not spend it."

The gardevoir nodded and turned, beginning to float away. Mystic followed shortly after. As they walked, they passed by several other couples, all sitting close and cuddling lovingly or mating furiously. As they proceeded further, Mystic's eyes began to hurt, the pink overloading her senses. A short while later, they came out of the forest again, and into a small village, with even more pink. The buildings were thankfully a less vibrant shade, but still pink. The gardevoir lead them through, and to what looked like a well.

"Here we are."

"What is this?" Mystic asked.

"This is, was our town well, until the underground lake dried up. Now it's a tourist attraction. If you take the lift down, tell the tour guide who you are. He should let you off the main path and you can go look for a gem."

"Alright then. Are you sure we can just take one?"

"Yes, of course." She said. The gardevoir closed her eyes for a moment, before vanishing.

"Well then. Let's go." Mystic said. She climbed up onto the well and onto the lift that was built over it. There was a small bell attached to it, and she gave it a flick. A moment later, the lift began to lower. The lift eventually reached the bottom, revealing a room carved out of stone. There were two pokemon there, a dugtrio and a carbink. The carbink was floating near a passage leading further in and the dugtrio was sitting next to a rope.

"Wait a minute, how did you use the rope?" Mystic asked him.

The dugtrio's three heads looked up at her. "Don't ask questions you don't want answered." He said in a dark tone.

"O-kay." Mystic said. "Anyways," She turned to the carbink. "We need to get a fairy gem, rescue team business."

"Alright." It said. "This way." It floated backwards, still facing them and guided them further into the caves. The cave itself was shaped like a giant dome, the rock worn smooth by the water it once housed. All along the walls were thousands of crystals, all different shining colors. There were several openings in the ceiling, allowing light to pour in and refract even more color from the crystals.

"Wow..." Mystic muttered. "Phantom has to see this sometime."

The carbink lifted higher into the air and floated off, seeming to look around at the crystals. While this happened, Mystic felt a whoosh of wind behind her. When she turned back to look, Zys was gone. "Zys? Where'd you go?" She asked the blank space, but received no response.

A second later, Zys appeared out of thin air, accompanied by another burst of air.

"Where did you go? You had me worried sick." She said, a bit of a scolding tone in her voice.

"%%%%%%. %%." He said, a serious look on his face.

"Alright then. If it was that important," She turned back just as the carbink was floating towards them.

"I found the gem. This way." It said, slowly floating up and guiding them across the cave floor. It was rough going for Mystic, as the path quickly became rocky and covered with jutting crystals. Zys noticed this, and without a word, reached down and picked her up. She briefly struggled at having been suddenly lifted, but realized what was happening. Zys floated up and followed the carbink, until they arrived at a bright pink shard of crystal sticking out of the wall. "This is the fairy gem." The carbink said flatly.

"Uhh, we can't use this."

"Why?" It asked with no emotion.

"We need a small one. It's for someone's collection."

"I do not understand."

Zys set her down and moved away.

"We need a smaller one. We can't take this back, or chip off a piece or something. It has to be small and look nice."

"I still do not understand. This is a fairy gem. You asked for a fairy gem."

"Ughh, we need something smaller alright."

"How much smaller?"

"Geez, Zys, where did you go off to know." She said in exasperation. She looked around and saw him digging at a spot a little ways away. "Anyways, can you go find another one. Like, this big." She said, motioning with her paws.

"I will look." Carbink said, floating up and away.

"So what are you up to Zys?" She asked, looking over his way.

He looked over to her and let out a short buzz before continuing to dig.

"That's nice. You have fun." She said, before sitting down and waiting, her paw tapping impatiently.

Eventually, the carbink came back. "I am sorry. I could not find a small fairy gem."

"Damn. Okay Zys, come help me chip off a piece of this. Something is better than nothing." She looked over to him, "Zys, is that?"

He was holding a fairy gem. He bent over and set it in front of her.

"Well shit, we need to bring you along more often." She said, beaming with joy. "Good job, let's go back." She put the gem away, and touched him with her badge, before touching herself.

Chp 18 Part 3

All four pokemon appeared in front of each other after recalling.

"Hey, how did your adventure go?" Ashley said upon seeing them.

"We got it. How about you?" Mystic said.

Phantom nodded and popped open his box. "Got it."

"Great, let's go turn this in."

All four pokemon went inside, to the main office. Once there, they handed the mienshao the letter and the two gems. Once she read it over, she set it down and handed them back everything. "The poster requested that it be turned in directly to him. Here is the address." She said.

With that, they were off once again, back into town. They went along streets until they found the right, then the right number, leaving them face to face with a large mansion. They went up, Mystic and Ashley leading the way, and rang the doorbell. A short time later, a fat wigglytuff opened the door.

"Yes?" He said in an incredibly foppish and exaggeratedly fancy way.

"We have your gems."

"Oh my! Is it true!?" He exclaimed. They took them out and handed them to him. "Amazing, come in, come in." He urged, nearly dragging them inside. He showed them into a sitting room and went to the fireplace, where sixteen other gems were mounted on the wall. "My collection is now complete!" He exclaimed, excitement overwhelming him. "Before I give you your well earned reward, please tell me, what are you going to spend it on?"

"Well, we are planning on buying our own base." Mystic said.

"And would that involve purchasing land? Because I am quite well versed when it comes to property."

"Yes, actually. We were looking at a small plot of land, near the beach."

"Well, it just so happens that I own that land. I could cut you a deal. Say, ten percent off, deducted straight from your payment in exchange?" He said, talking incredibly fast all of a sudden.

"Um, alright I guess." Mystic said, not really understanding exactly what he said.

"So, 500,000 poke, minus 90,000 poke comes to 410,000 poke. I will have that transferred to your bank, and let me go get the deed to the land." He dashed out, and returned a minute later holding a wrapped up scroll of paper. "Here you are. Might I suggest Conk Movers, if you're planning construction."

"Okay then. Thanks." Mystic said, taking the deed and putting it in her box. The wigglytuff quickly got them to their feet and escorted them out. "Well then." Mystic said once the door was slammed behind them. "I guess we got what we wanted after all. How about you two go check out the place, and Phantom and I will go see about getting a place built for us. That little shack there now isn't going to cut it." They all nodded and split up.

"So, where's the building place?" Mystic asked.

"Probably in the business district. Let's head that way." Phantom said. They went off, leaving the residential area, passing through the market, and into the business district. They spent a while walking around looking at signs, until they saw one in particular. "Conk Movers" "Looks like the place." Phantom said.

They went in, finding a very muscular conkeldurr sitting on a rock just inside. He let out a grunt upon seeing them.

"Hi," Mystic said. "We need someone to build something for us."

"Like what?" He asked, his voice slow and grating.

"A house. We just bought a small plot of land and we need to build our own rescue team base there."

"Can do. We look tomorrow."

"Alright then. It's out by the beach, to the east of town."

"Know spot. Tomorrow morning." He said, still not having moved an inch since they came in.

They turned and left. "So that's that, I guess we should head out there." Mystic suggested. Phantom nodded in agreement.

"This place sucks!" Ashley groaned loudly. She swung her paw at one of the rotting boards of the shack, causing it to wobble. "Shit, we really do need something built. Hope it won't cost too much. We worked our asses off to get that money." She looked over at Zys, who was merely standing there. "You know, ever since I saw you, I've been wondering something. Are you a boy or a girl?" She asked.

"%%%%." Zys buzzed.

"That doesn't really..." She walked over to him and reached up, patting his smooth crotch with a paw. "Uhh, are you genderless?" She asked. "That's always freaked me out. How do pokemon like you even breed?"

"%%%."

"Yea." She turned away from him and walked around the shack, looking at the deed and comparing it to what she saw to get a sense of what they actually owned. They had plenty of room, but most of it was covered in trees. The only part that was really clear was the space the shack took up. She went back around and poked her head inside the shack. It was mostly rotted and had several holes in the roof. They were not spending the night here. A gust of wind blew through, creating a draft and causing some boards to rattle. "How is this thing still standing?!"

"Well, how's it look?" Mystic asked from outside.

"Like shit." Ashley told her once she left the building. "No wonder that guy wanted to dump it on us."

"Well, we talked to the building company, and they said they'd look at it tomorrow. They'll probably give us a price then. That means somebody needs to get up early and meet with them."

"Not it!" Ashley yelled quickly.

"I guess I can do it..." Phantom offered.

"We can work that out later. Let's go get dinner first."


	21. Chapter 19

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Zys the Deoxys

Chp 19

As the sun rose the next morning, so did Phantom. He looked over to the other side of the room where Ashley and Mystic were curled around each other. A faint bit of steam was rising up from where they touched, but it was incredibly faint. They were both snoozing gently. With a quiet groan, he got up and walked outside, leaving the building and heading into town.

He was groggy and his eyes kept drooping, but he pushed on until he arrived at the land. Once he got there, his energy shot up. There were already several pokemon there. The conkeldurr, presumably the boss. There were five other pokemon poking around the land and inspecting things, three timburr, a machoke, and a sandslash.

"Um, excuse me." Phantom said, poking the conkeldurr on his massive arm.

"Hmm?" He grumbled, turning his head to look at him.

Phantom waited for him to say more, but when he didn't, "So, we want a house here."

"Yes. Demolish that. Build new. Need design." He said.

"I don't know how to draw a blueprint..."

"We do. Need idea."

"How about something... quaint? Like rustic, maybe like a simple hut."

"Will make. Cost 600,000."

"We don't have that much... Please, is there something we can do to make it less? We have 400,000."

"No. 600,000."

"Hold on a sec, Conk." The machoke said, coming over. "We have a lot of contracts, so if you'll do the prep work for us, we can do 400,000."

"Prep?" Phantom asked.

"Yea. Knock down some trees and this shack. You can do whatever with the rubble, just make sure it's gone. And we'll use the wood from the trees to build, so pile them up somewhere. Do that by tomorrow and you've got a deal."

"Alright, we can do that."

"Good. Come by the shop tomorrow and we'll have plans and a contract for you. Okay everybody, pack it up!" He shouted at the other pokemon, motioning for them to follow. All the builder pokemon left quickly, returning to town.

Phantom stood there for a bit and looked at the land. They had stuck a few stakes in the ground, marking out a rough square. "We're gonna need some help with this." He said, before going back to the base.

Once he got there, Ashley and Mystic were still sleeping, but Zys was up, looking out the window. Phantom got his attention and motioned for him to follow. Once they were outside, Phantom said, "Alright, we need to clear the land. We can do it just the two of us, right?"

Zys shook his head.

"What do you mean? You're plenty strong."

Zys stepped past him and began to walk down the stairs.

"Wait up!" Phantom said, hurrying to catch up.

Zys walked at a brisk pace to Hunter's office. Phantom was right behind him when he opened the door. He then stepped aside, and looked to Phantom.

"Um, I guess Zys wants you to help." He said to Hunter inside.

"With what?"

"We need to clear the land for our new place. So will you?"

"I could use a break. It's been mostly quiet, which is worrying me." He said, flipping the folder he was looking through closed and standing. "Let us depart then."

They arrived back at the land.

"We need to clear the trees and this thing." Phantom said. "Everything in this square."

"This is worse than I expected." Hunter said.

"Well we can't afford to have someone else do it."

"I do owe you. Let's get to it." He stepped forward and snapped a thin tree between his claw, cleaving it in two.

"Save any good wood. They're going to use it to build."

Hunter nodded and Zys went to go help him. Zys watched him down another tree the same way, snapping it in two with his claw, and went up to one. His tentacles unfurled and his body morphed into a more offensive shape. With a whip like crack of his arm, he slapped against the wood, but didn't do it right, causing a small crater in the tree, splintering the wood and only going about halfway through the trunk.

"Here." Hunter said, coming over to him. "You have to hit it accuratly from both sides. You can't just use force." He brought both his claws to the side and crushed the trunk between them, with minimal damage to the wood. "Just like that. Think you can do it?"

Zys nodded and let out a buzz before trying it himself. When he did, the base of the tree spilt cleanly, but the falling tree began to come towards him.

"ZYS!" Hunter yelled, his wings buzzing loudly as he dashed across the yard. Phantom poked his head around the side of the shack with his eyes wide just in time to see Zys move. Both he and Hunter were fast, but not faster than gravity, and the tree fell with a deafening crash, pinning one pair of Zys's arms under it. They flailed for a bit before falling limp.

"Zys! Are you okay?!" Phantom asked, sprinting to his side and nearly falling over when he tried to stop.

Zys looked at him calmly, before turning to the log and pulling. His arms popped off, leaving two small stumps at his shoulder.

"Agh-" Phantom grunted out in shock, but his voice caught in his throat.

Zys was still completely calm. "%%%%." He buzzed. The stumps slowly began to extend, his tentacle arms growing by themselves, while the ones under the log seemingly turned to dust.

"Amazing..." Hunter commented. "I've never seen any pokemon do that before."

Zys got a look of conviction, and lifted the log up, hefting it easily over his head.

"Wow, ok, uh, just put it over there." Phantom said, pointing towards an empty spot of the yard, near the road. Zys nodded and set the log there. Hunter followed suit, picking up a few of the trees he felled and carrying them over. Most of the trees were not too tall, the largest of them being about seven to eight feet tall, so they were able to move them without too much effort.

Phantom was doing his own work, but a very different kind. He was trying to find some way to easily topple the shack. Most of the boards were old and partially rotted, but the nails still held and it would take a while to disassemble or smash enough to bring it down. He frowned. The building looked decrepit, but it was stable. As he looked up, it dawned on him. He stepped outside for a better look at the perfect tool. Just behind the shack was a larger tree, even thicker than the rest, with many branches hovering over the roof.

"Hey Hunter. How about this one?"

The scizor turned around and looked at the biggest tree of the bunch. "We should probably wait. That one will take more to bring down safely, so we can do it last."

"How about we use it instead? Knock it down and let it crush the shack?"

"That isn't too bad of an idea..." He said, rubbing his chin with a claw. "We'll need to make sure it's safe first."

"I thought you were here to take a break? Not worry about everything."

"I am taking a break. A little physical labor to stop from doing any more paperwork and research. I've been using nothing but my brain for too long. I need to exercise or my skills will get dull." Hunter said, flexing his claws wide and clamping them shut.

"Yea, I guess. It'll seriously speed things up, so let's do it."

"Alright. You go watch the other side."

Phantom nodded and rounded the shack, looking up at the looming tree. "Ready when you are." He called out.

On the other side, Hunter held up both his arms and crossed them. He focused for a moment, and then let loose a wickedly sharp x-scissor. Two slim cuts tore through the trunk, in an x shape. It began to slump down, when he smashed his head into it, causing it to fall towards the shack. The two chunks from the attack fell to either side, before a deafening crash, filled with the sound of splintering wood, hit the air. The shack crumbled and sprayed chips of broken boards into the air under the weight of the falling tree. The building was thoroughly demolished, little more than a pile of rubble remaining.

"Perfect." Phantom said, beginning to go around and pick up any stray pieces and throw them into the pile. Hunter went back to downing trees meanwhile.

"Well what do we have here?"

Phantom turned around to see Ashley and Mystic watching from the road. "Wanna help?" He asked.

"You look like you're managing just fine." Ashley teased. They both stepped onto the grass and joined the cleanup.

"Phantom, my apologies, but now that you've got help, I need to get back to work."

"It's fine. Thanks for the help."

"It was fun." Hunter said with a nod, before he left, heading back into town.

"So what can we do?" Mystic asked.

"Well, you can help me pick up wood and sticks and move them into this pile. Unless you wanna take a crack at the trees."

"Well, I could just burn down the entire forest." Mystic said jokingly.

The three smaller began to pick up and toss all the assorted junk into one pile, topped by the remains of the largest tree.

"You think maybe we should put this tree with the others?" Mystic asked a short time later.

"You gonna lift it? Cuz it's pretty big." Ashley said. "Speaking of which, I got an idea. We don't really need much more wood." She said, pointing to the pile of logs that was larger than all three of them combined. "Mystic, help me out here." She walked over to trees, on the opposite side that Zys was still working on. Despite the amount of trees that had been downed, there was still a large area to clear.

"Uh, the deal was that they keep the wood..." Phantom said, afraid of what she was planning.

"I'm not going to destroy it all. Just a little." She nudged Mystic into place, and took her place not too far from her, by her side. "Alright, go ahead and light it up." She instructed.

"You sure?" Mystic asked, not sounding convinced.

"Yea, do it. I got this." She nodded back.

Mystic drew in a breath and blew a steady stream of fire at the base of the tree. At the same time, Ashley opened her maw and fired an ice beam slightly above. The fire started, burning up the base of the tree and eating into the wood. The ice beam froze the bark it hit, which quickly melted from the heat, causing the water to drip down onto the fire, and extinguish some of it. The resulting equilibrium quickly burned through the tree with minimal damage to the surrounding area, leaving only a charred stump as the tree fell to the ground.

"YEA!" Ashley cheered loudly. "Science bitch!" She held up her paw, which Mystic quickly high fived. They were both panting from the exertion of using their moves in such a precise way.

"I don't think we can do that much more..." She said.

"I got a plan for that too. Zys! Come're." She called.

"%%%." He buzzed as he came towards them.

Ashley walked up to one tree and breathed a wave of frozen air onto the tree, freezing it solid. "Go ahead and take a whack at it."

Zys reeled back and smacked the tree. The ice cracked, and fell away, with only the bark removed, and a little bit of a dent in the wood.

"Oh... Well, never mind then." She said, frowning. "You can go on back."

"%%%." He buzzed, sounding a bit sad, then went back to his side.

She and Mystic repeated the process a few more times, until they couldn't do it anymore.

Ashley let out a grunt as she dropped to the ground, her tongue hanging out as she breathed heavily.

"Want me to go get lunch?" Phantom asked.

"Sure... Yea... Go ahead." Mystic said, panting in equal measure to Ashley. "Wow, using flamethrower like that is hard."

"Okay, I'll be back in a bit. The deal was we do this by tomorrow for a discount, so we can't take too long eating." He hurriedly left, trotting his way back into town.

The rest of the day proceeded much the same after lunch. Phantom working on picking up and clearing, Zys felling trees and moving them to the pile, and the girls doing a bit of both.

By the time the sun set, a large area, marked by stakes in the ground, had been nearly entirely cleared, only a pile of rubble and a pile of logs remained in the square.

"Whew. We did it." Mystic said. "So they're going to start building tomorrow?"

"That's what they said. We just need to sign the contract and pay in the morning."

"Sounds good. I'll get up for this one." Mystic said.

"What about all this?" Ashley asked, referencing the trash pile.

"I got this. You're on damage control." Mystic told her. She stepped up to the shattered shack, and breathed a small ember onto it. The fire slowly grew, consuming more and more wood. Most of the grass around the shack was dead, and there was little for the fire to spread to. Eventually, it grew into a roaring bonfire, lighting up their little plot of land with flickering shadows.

Ashley was sitting further away, the heat uncomfortable up close, and Zys was standing really close and staring into the flames. Phantom and Mystic were sitting next to each other at a medium distance, close enough to feel the heat. Phantom jumped slightly when she scooted closer, pressing her side to his and nestling her head between his neck and shoulder. The night was silent, the only sound being the crackling of the bonfire. She couldn't help but smirk at the feeling of him fidgeting nervously against her.

That morning, just after sunrise, Mystic forced herself to get up and washed her face with lukewarm water to wake herself up. When she turned around the leave their room, she saw Phantom getting up.

"Nuh-uh." She whispered, planting on paw on his nose. "You suffered yesterday. So you get to sleep in today." She left and made her way to the building company, and went inside. They were already open. When she went inside, instead of the conkeldurr sitting in the middle of the floor, there was a machoke sitting behind a stone desk.

"Hello miss. What can I do for you?" He asked.

"I'm here to sign some papers. We have a lot just outside town that needs built."

"I know the one." He turned around and took a pile of papers off the desk behind him. Also in that area was a large bulletin board, with numerous blue sheets of paper pinned to it.

The stack of papers was set on the desk, easily thicker than her paw laid flat. She flipped in a few pages to find lots of small print and terms, and past that were some blueprints. She tried to make sense of them, but they were too complex.

"Just paw print that top page, and let me scan your badge. Then we can get to work." He set out a small pad of ink, which Mystic put her paw in before stamping it on the page. She then leaned her head forward and let him scan her badge. "Alrighty then. We'll send word when construction is done. Should be... about a week."

"Okay, thanks." Mystic said, not able to keep from yawning anymore. She left and went back for the rescue federation. When she got there, she saw a massive tyranitar talking to an equally large charizard, one who did not have the battle wounds of Flare. But that was the last thing on her tired mind.


	22. Chapter 20

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Zys the Deoxys

Chp 20

They all awoke later, except for Zys, who seemingly did not sleep. He did close his eyes and become motionless, but he was always conscious, looking at every little sound he heard.

"So you took care of it?" Ashley asked during the morning cleaning routine.

"Yup. They estimated a week." Mystic explained.

"Dammit, I wanted to be out of here by tonight. And we're getting thicker curtains."

A knock sounded out from the other side of the curtain separating their room from the hall. Harrison the farfetch'd poked his head in. "Excuse me, but Hunter asked specifically for you, ASAP, in his office."

"Work never ends..." Ashley muttered.

"What are you talking about? You just started." Mystic retorted. "Oh yea, Phantom, I wanted to ask you why all the stores have scanners for our badges."

"I can answer that. Rescue teams aren't the only ones with bank accounts. Common folk like me can get things that charge your account. Not every bank offers them though."

"Well that's fancy." The conversation ended as they arrived at Hunter's office. When they entered, there were three extra pokemon, a charizard, a tyranitar, and an alakazam.

"Good. You're here." Hunter greeted them. "This," He waved a claw towards the three new pokemon. "Is Team ACT. Alakazam, Charizard, and Tyranitar."

"Wait, Team ACT?! Like the one from the history books?!" Phantom said, his eyes growing wide.

"No, no, young one." Alakazam said. "That was many years ago. Our grandparents were the pokemon you think of. We merely carry on their legacy. Now, Mystic, please step forward. I am here to help you with your memory troubles." Mystic swallowed nervously. "No need for that. It will be very gentle, I assure you."

"Now you sound like a perv." Charizard grunted quietly.

"Silence. I need focus." He held up his spoon and pressed it to Mystic's forehead. All was silent for a short time, until he removed the spoon. "I'm sorry. Whatever happened to you, it is outside of my power." Mystic lowered her head in sadness. "Fret not, I have an idea. There is one pokemon I know that could help you."

"Are you really suggesting..." Hunter said.

"Yes. If your assumptions are correct, and she is involved, her memory could solve the matter, and save lives in the process."

"What? Who?" She asked.

"A very important pokemon. I apologize, but I can only teleport so many pokemon, so I must ask that you leave your companions behind."

"But... How about you leave your teammates here and Phantom can come?"

"If it will make you happy, I suppose. I can simply teleport the three of us there and back." He held out both hands, pointing the spoons in them towards them. "Hold onto these."

The moment they both touched them, they were transported to another place. They were on top of some kind of structure, and the clouds seemed a lot closer. The air was also much thinner, causing both of them to begin breathing hard in an attempt to cope.

"Welcome, to Destiny Tower. This was built as a place of worship to Arceus."

"Arceus?" Mystic asked.

"Not right now. I'll explain later."

"Yes. This place is old, ancient even. Only one pokemon resides here currently." Alakazam pointed forward, at a lone figure sitting in front of some kind of statue. The statue was huge, but in terrible condition. It looked like it was once some four legged pokemon, but was so crumbled and damaged that it was nearly impossible to see much else. "Be quiet, please. This is still a sacred place."

He lead the way and slowly walked up to the pokemon. He was sitting cross legged, facing the statue, and had two pairs of what looked ornaments hanging from his head, though they were attached.

Alakazam bowed before him, before speaking. "I beg your pardon, but we have need of your services."

He did not move, but his four head things twitched.

"Please, we need your help. Lives are in the balance."

He stood up and turned around. He said nothing, at least not physically, but they all heard his voice. "Very well. Tell me quickly. I really don't like guests..." He said, his voice sounding authoritative, but his tone not matching it. He sounded irritated.

"I know you could read our minds. Thank you for respecting our privacy. This vulpix, Mystic, has lost her memory, and no one has been able to help her. We believe that-"

"You believe? I don't like my time being wasted."

"I apologize. But the lives of many innocent pokemon could be saved if she remembered."

"Fine." He walked forward, letting out an annoyed sigh. He placed his paw on Mystic's head, and the aura sensors on his back drifted up. Mystic felt a bit odd, like there was some kind of force overtaking her body. A faint nagging feeling began to creep around her thoughts. Just as quickly as it started, it was over. Her entire body ached, and she let out a breath she hadn't tried to hold. She felt exhausted after so little. "Nothing." He said.

Mystic's heart sank. "But..."

"Yes, please tell us more." Alakazam asked.

He let out another annoyed sigh. "It is... buried. Hidden. Your memories have been tampered with, artificially. Only the pokemon who did it can correct it without any damage. I could try, but you would lose much of the memories in the process."

"Oh... Thanks I guess." Mystic said, still looking sad.

"There, now could you leave?" The lucario said disdainfully.

Alakazam put his spoons on both of them, and they were back in Hunter's office.

"Well? Well!?" Ashley said, insanely excited.

"What was with that guy?" Phantom asked.

"That 'guy' is Aeon. The only living direct descendent of Eternity, the lucario who founded the rescue foundation."

"That was the descendent of Eternity!?" Phantom exclaimed.

"Yea, okay so whatever, what happened!? What'd he say?"

"He said... He couldn't help. But now, we now have a target. They took my memories, and only they can give them back. We're going to get them back!"

Phantom was surprised, as was Alakazam. They had both suspected her to be depressed after such bad news, but all it seemed to do was light an even greater passion in her.

"They are moving out."

"Huh?" Hearth looked around, and eventually spotted the head of a decidueye sticking out of a corner. "Oh, Reaper. Stop surprising me like that. Give me a full report then."

"I cannot go into the foundation. It is too dangerous. They bought land outside Journey Town. Construction started earlier today."

"Well that's good. Anyways, go on Carver."

"Yea. Reaper, seriously, you act all cool and collected, but I think you secretly enjoy scaring people." The absol looked up to where he had been, but he was gone. "That guy." He shook his head.

"They have two new team members." Reaper said. Carver leapt forward, spinning around to face the ghost type who had appeared behind him.

"See, told ya you enjoy it."

"A alolan form vulpix and an unknown species."

"That's funny. I bedded one of those a few days ago. Sexy little thing."

"An unknown species?" Hearth said.

"No, the vulpix." Carver said, but Hearth ignored him.

"Yes. Very powerful. He might be a threat."

"Yea, okay, my turn." Carver said. "So, as I was saying, if they did some investigating around, they might find something out. That's where I was from before I signed on with you. If my identity was compromised..."

"Actually... That could be a good thing. If they know you are a missing pokemon, you could play them."

"Yea, I'd rather not put myself in the line of fire. You know I'm only here for one reason. If you need a spy, find somebody else."

"Well, that's just it. We have spies, several, but none of them are close with them." Hearth put his head in his hands. "Shit. Everything was going so well. Hunter's the real instigator. If he was gone, we'd have nothing to worry about, but that damn vulpix. If we deal with her, he loses his biggest lead. If they find some way to get her memories back, we are fucked." He stayed silent for a moment. "Reaper!"

"Sir." The decidueye said.

"Kill her. It's too risky now. I don't care how messy it gets. Go wild. But don't fight Hunter. He is too strong."

"It will be done." Reaper faded into the wall and was gone for good this time.

"Carver, you make the rounds again, make sure no one is missing and everything's still secure. Everything is a liability now."

"You got it. I know a few people I wouldn't mind seein' again."

"Business, not pleasure. You're in on this too. If we go down, we all go down together."

"Yea, yea, my business is my pleasure, and vice versa, so on and so on." Carver said while leaving the room, his voice trailing down the hall.

"Hah..." Hearth sighed. "What a tangled web we weave..." He muttered to himself.

"So, any new leads for us?" Mystic asked. Team ACT had left, leaving only the five of them in Hunter's office.

"Not really. I'm currently working on something. I've asked for a compiled list of missing persons from the last few years to be sent here, from every civilized town on the continent. From there, we'll ship it out to all the bases. If any of those missing pokemon are still around, we'll find them."

"That sounds like a great idea. I can't be the only one who got away."

"Exactly. But as you can imagine, it's been slow. I'll keep you posted."

"Well I guess we'll just head out then."

"We could do some jobs." Phantom suggested.

"Nah, I think we should relax. Chill out till the house is done." Ashley said.

"Speaking of which, come find me when your new base is done. I can bind your badges to it so you'll recall to there instead of here."

"That's convenient. Let's go. I think we can take a day off today. And I've got plans for the week." Mystic said, leading the way out. "So, how about a real vacation?"

"Where? Wasn't Frostorm enough?"

"Not really. Lovely meadows is the place. I went there for the fairy gem. There's this awesome cave you have to see. And it's a pretty place, all the trees are pink."

"Oh-hoh, I see what you're getting at." Ashley said.

"What?" Phantom asked.

"It's a relaxing place. Good to get our minds off of all this for a bit, you know." Mystic said.

"Yeah. We should totally head there for a day." Ashley agreed, smirking a bit. "Why don't you go get some lunch and meet us at the room." She said. "We can just hang out for the day." Once he was gone, she turned to her sister. "Okay, I'll play along, but I get some too." She said.

"So you've heard of the place?"

"The sex capital? Yea I have. So, care to share your boyfriend?"

"I don't see why not. It should be fun for him." She said, causing them both to giggle.

A short while later, they were back in the room and Phantom came in. He set down his box and popped it open to reveal three small lunch boxes. The girls each took one and he took his, and they gathered in the middle of the floor, all facing each other.

"So Phantom, with all our family drama, how's yours?" Ashley asked after a bit.

"Oh, uh, nothing much really. I moved out a few years ago and came to Journey town. I haven't seen them since."

"Maybe you should go see them sometime."

"I guess." He muttered, going back to eating. After a while, he looked over to Mystic. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'm... I want to make them fell the suffering they've done to everyone. They have to suffer. Pay for everything. I'm so angry!" She smacked her box of food, flinging leftover french fries over the floor. "I'm going to crush them! WE will destroy them!" She roared, crushing on of the fried potatoes under her paw. She began panting heavily. "Sorry. I just..."

"You're right." Phantom said. "If they are hurting other's like they've hurt you, we have to stop them. Hunter told me something a while ago. He said... that the Shadow are kidnapping pokemon and selling them as sex slaves. And with your memory, they're probably erasing them to make them more... docile and then drugging them up." Phantom said, his face a tight grimace.

"That seals it. They're done. I won't see any of them walk away from this."

"Wait, so that means... they kidnapped you for sex? Holy shit." Ashley said, her usual energy fading away. "Arceus, I mean, what if you hadn't gotten away?"

"But I did. And now, I'm going to end them." Mystic said, a crazy look in her eye. She took a few deep breaths. "Phantom, you promised to tell me about Arceus."

"Oh yeah. So some people believe that the universe was created by a single pokemon, called Arceus, the religion of Alphanism. He's supposedly existed since the beginning of time. I don't really believe it though. No matter what, the belief in Arceus has shaped the world, like Destiny Tower for example."

"Wait a minute, you don't believe in Arceus?" Ashley asked. "Weirdo."

"I dunno, I just never really thought He was real." Phantom said.

"Whatever. So what's the plan then, Mystic?"

"Well, tomorrow we'll take a one day vacation to Lovely Meadows. It wouldn't hurt to look around there at the same time. Then I guess we'll just wait around until something happens. Maybe do a job or two while we wait on the house. So where did you guys get your gem?"

"This total shit hole. Like a wasteland canyon thing." Ashley said.

"And there were dragons." Phantom added.

"Okay then. Let's never go there." Her terse tone caused Ashley to giggle, setting her of as well, until they were all laughing.


	23. Chapter 21

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Zys the Deoxys

Chp 21

"So where is it?" Ashley asked as they stood in the map room the next morning.

"Right about..." Mystic looked along the floor, spotting the pink forest, and going a bit north of it to a large clearing with a few brown spots. "Here" She said. They all took a turn pressing their badges to the spot, Phantom going last. In turn, they one by one appeared in the town of Lovely Meadows.

Like the last time Mystic had been here, the town was overloaded with pink. But this time, the place was a lot more active. It was like a festival of some kind was going on. Numerous stands selling trinkets and knickknacks were set up, and paper lantern strings dotted the area. At the same time, the crimson and pink petals of the trees were blowing through with the wind.

"Sheesh, have they ever heard of color variety? I mean, pink goes pretty good with my fur, but this is way too much." Ashley complained as she looked around. The crowds were also very thick.

"Wow, somethin' must be goin' on." Mystic said. "This place was dead when I came through. Come on, this way. You've gotta see this." She said, leading them to the well that went down into the cave. Once they, and a few other small pokemon, got on, it began to slowly lower. "Don't say anything about the dugtrio." She whispered.

"Uh, okay." Ashley said, not sure what she meant. Once they reached the bottom, the carbink from earlier was there, along with another tour group waiting to go up. They filled out, waiting a bit for more pokemon to gather, and then the tour began.

"This cave was once a large underground lake. The area is filled with crystals that emit fairy type energy, with a large concentration of them being located in this cave. That energy is suspected to be the reason for the large number of fairy types who live here, along with the color of the trees. Even though the lake dried up, the ground still contains enough fairy minerals to sustain the current trend."

"This place is so sparkly!" Ashley exclaimed, looking around the glimmering cavern. Phantom said nothing, but based on the look he had, with the reflections of sparkles in his eyes, he felt similarly.

"Hey, c'mon, this way." Mystic said. They were at the rear of the group, and all the other pokemon were looking forward or up at the ceiling, so they were able to sneak off easily. They traversed the rocky and crystal covered surface of the cave with Mystic leading the way deeper in.

"Where are we going?" Phantom asked after a bit.

"I saw this thing while I was here. We're almost there."

Ashley was last in line and staying quiet, as she ogled Phantom's sack whenever it was revealed by his walking. His thin tail didn't cover much after all.

"Right here!" Mystic said excitedly, dashing forward and around a corner. Ashley caught the hint, and ran past him to follow her.

"Wait up!" He called. When he rounded the corner, he saw both vixens presenting their pussies to him. "Oh... I get it..." He looked away, back the way they came. "I knew about this places reputation, but I didn't think... But you two are kinda sex crazy..." He said, looking down and fiddling with his paws.

"Well, you gonna do anything?" Ashley asked, making a come hither motion with her tails.

"Yea, go ahead. No shame in having two ladies instead of one." Mystic chimed in.

"Well... but... I'm not really... in the mood." He said, nearly whispering the last bit. "With all the bad news we've gotten, and everything, and we're in a really public place..." He said, still not looking at them.

"I guess you're right... Sorry, I didn't think about how you'd feel." Mystic said sadly. "Alright, we won't force anything on you." She turned and kissed him on the cheek. "Take it at your own pace alright? Just remember you got another girl waiting. And don't neglect me." She said with puppy dog eyes.

"A-a-alright." He stammered. "Let's go back." He said. "I wanna see what they're selling at the fair."

"Hey, I have an idea." Ashley whispered after he turned away. "With how he acts, maybe he's a sub."

"What?"

"Like a bottom. Maybe he likes being dominated."

"That doesn't sound too crazy... but we're not raping him. He's a nice guy. He did save my life after all."

"Of course." She whispered sharply. "I'm not some monster."

"Then how about we celebrate the new house when it's done."

"Alright, it's a plan." She nodded.

"You coming?" Phantom asked, coming back around the corner.

"Yea, let's go back up. They probably got some cool stuff up there." Mystic said with a smile.

They made their way back to the lift, and stepped past the waiting guests, onto the lift. Mystic poked her head around the corner. "Going up." She told the dugtrio hidden behind a rock. He gave her a scowl but didn't move until she looked away. Then the rope went taut and the platform started to lift. Mystic tried to look down and see the dugtrio, but he was well hidden this time.

Once they arrived at the top, Ashley immediately jumped off the platform. "Never make me get on one of those again!" She whined. "I need something to calm my nerves." She said, before disappearing into the crowd in search of things to buy.

"Hope she doesn't spend too much..." Mystic said. "C'mon, let's see what we can find." She stepped off and Phantom followed her into the fair. Most of the stands were offering various foods, or souvenirs. Mystic stopped right in front of one. "No fucking way." She said in disbelief. The sign said "Fry Anything". She stepped up to it. "Can you really fry anything?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes you can." The lickitung behind the stall told her.

"But I don't have anything..."

"We have some things. How about fried ice cream, or a banana?"

"But... you can't fry ice cream! It'll melt!" She said, sure he was just leading her on.

"Just watch." He turned around, and after a bit, and some sizzling, he turned to her, and handed her a tray. It had two things on it: a fried ball of dough and a browned banana. "Careful, it's hot." He said. She raised her head so he could scan her badge, and they moved on.

"Alright. Here goes nothing." She said. She carefully put a bit of banana in her mouth before biting. She let out an exaggerated moan and rolled her eyes up. "Oh that's good." She said with a full mouth. She held the stick over to Phantom. "Try this."

He gingerly took a small bite, chewed for a bit, and murred. "It's good but I think it'll give me a heart attack."

"And? Just eat it." She handed him the banana on a stick and went to take a bite of the ice cream. She bit through the warm doughy shell, and into the cold ice cream below. "This is good too. But I'm definitely gonna pay for it later..." She began mindlessly walking forwards while munching on her food. "Maybe we should get some candy and-" She turned around and saw Phantom was gone. Most of the pokemon around were her size or smaller, but she couldn't spot anyone that looked like him. "Oh well. How far could he have gone?"

"Well hello again, miss." A joyful voice said. She turned her head to see a sylveon. "By the look on your face you don't remember me. Prince. We met a couple days ago. I wanted to say sorry for the way I acted."

"What, trying to get laid?" She said with a fair amount of attitude.

"Yea... Really. Sorry. When I get... into the mood... I act different. I try not to be a jerk, but when the girls come around, it gets hard." He said, not intending the double entendre. When he realized what he said, he looked away. "Sorry again." He began to leave.

"Hey! Wait." She said. "Thanks for that. There aren't too many nice guys around."

"You're welcome!" He said cheerily, putting on a beaming smile. His tail, and ribbons, waved happily as he walked into the crowd.

"Hey Mystic!" Ashley yelled. She pushed her way past the pokemon in the crowd and made her way over. "Here, I got you some cotton candy." She handed her a bag of it, with a string to carry it by. "And where's Phantom?"

"I don't know. We got separated."

"PHANTOM!" She shouted.

"What?! You can't just yell like that!" Mystic scolded her.

"Why not?"

"Cuz... you just don't do that in a public place."

"Well it worked." She said, pointing to Phantom, who emerged from the crowd, a blush on his face. Mystic looked around and saw that several pokemon were staring at them. "You ready to go back to Journey town? I think we got everything we need. Well almost."

"Yea, I suppose we could go home." Mystic said. They all pressed their badges and returned to the base.

"Grit!" Tyrant roared loudly when he entered the large room that held a large circular table, the conference room. The flygon raised his head and looked over, but he knew better than to argue when Tyrant was like this. "You need to get your ass to work!"

"Doing what?"

"Our profits have been dropping sharply since Journey town was lost. We need more dealers!" The tyranitar slammed his fist onto the table, leaving a dent in the steel surface.

"You know how Hearth feels about that."

"You think I'm scared of that runt!?" He fired an ice beam near Grit, causing him to flinch. "We need money. So do your damn job!"

"I don't take orders from you. If you have a problem, take it up with Hearth."

Tyrant stepped around the table and walked up to the flygon. Suddenly, he swept his arm through the air, taking Grit by the neck, and slamming his head down on the table.

"I suggest-" Grit started, but a ball of blue energy hit Tyrant and sent him flying away.

"Enough!" Hearth growled. He had entered the room while neither was paying attention. "I've got a plan. Both of you just relax until I say so."

"But, we need money! We're hemorrhaging! And on Carver's front, we haven't brought in any new merchandise!" Tyrant argued.

"We have to lay low. If everything is exposed, no one will buy anything. We're better off now than we would be with no cash flow. And it's not about the money."

"For you maybe." Tyrant muttered.

"Whatever. Just wait until it's the right time." Hearth said. "Grit, if he does anything, you have permission to defend yourself."

"Right boss." Grit said.

Hearth turned around and left the room. He walked down the hall slowly, as his form was more accustomed to going on all fours. He walked past a few other rooms, until he came to the front door, and left the building. On the edge of the island was a tall pokemon, watching the sunset. "How's it going?" He asked.

The pokemon turned his head and looked down at him. "Don't act like we are friends. We both know why I'm here, and why you still live."

"You may think I'm evil, but I have a reason for all this. Why not just enjoy your time here?"

"Because we are prisoners. Just leave me. I won't do anything so long as she..."

"And we won't do anything either. As per our agreement." Hearth pat the taller pokemon on the back. "Perk up buddy. One day, you'll understand why. Or not." He turned and left him to his sunset, going back inside to take care of dinner.

A short while later, he entered the 'cell block'. It had prison bars, blocking the doors and windows, though they did little to hold in the occupant. The inside was furnished like a lavish, royal bedroom, with many extravagant pieces: Velvet chairs, a silk canopy bed, ornamental curtains, and large pictures of the original owners of the mansion, along with their 'children', though the pictures were old, faded and dusty. Numerous antiques, such as fancy plates, and vases, and a fireplace decorated the place, along with a beartic skin rug. Currently the fire was lit, and the prisoner was sitting in front of it, lazily playing with her tail, holding it above her and batting at it.

"Dinner's here." Hearth said. He set the platter down on the table and took the lid off, allowing the smell to waft through the room.

"Thanks." She said, rising and moving to sit down and eat. "How is he doing?"

"You have a one track mind, you know that?"

"Well I love him. Have you ever loved someone?" She asked in her innocent sounding voice, a tone she always had, despite her intelligence.

"He's fine. He misses you."

"Can I see him?" She asked, setting down her fork and looking at him seriously.

"I'm sorry, but no. We have a good reason for this. I know it's hard, but please forgive me." He said, patting her on the head before leaving.

"One week."

"Reaper? Good." Hearth said, not even looking around for him. "Do it ASAP. I feel like something is coming. Like a storm is brewing."

Hunter and Marie were sitting in his office. "So, where is he?" Hunter asked.

"He said he'd be here. Why, what are you planning?"

"I'll say when he gets here."

Marie sighed. "You know how I hate surprises."

"Well, I'm here." Flare growled, opening the door and coming in. "What is it?"

"Take a seat." Hunter offered.

"I'll stand. My scars ache if I sit down too long." Flare said, walking next to them and standing next to the desk, on the side, between them.

"Alright. I don't know how much Marie told you, but we believe the Blade has resurfaced as the Shadow. We've been hunting them down with the help of a few local teams, but... I'm about to blow the lid off of everything. If this works, and I think it will... Chaos is about to come back. I'll need you both at your best. This could end up in another war."

"Well this time, leave me out of it." Flare said.

"What?!" Hunter said, his normal attitude shattering. "But... you know what they're doing is wrong, and we have a duty. We have to save the world again! Please. I can't do it without you. We've been together since you were just a charmander..."

"Dammit, haven't I given enough!?" Flared roared right at him, smoke leaving his nostrils.

"Flare... please..." Marie said quietly.

"No. No babe..." He shook his head. "I'm done. I'm just an old and battered lizard. I can't keep this up. I'm not as strong as you." Flare said, his voice cracking a bit. He cleared his throat. "I'll help you out around here, but no more big fights. You're welcome to go off and do whatever needs done, and I'll hold down the fort." He walked over to the door, his tail flame very small and dim. He put his hand on the door. "See ya." He said, then left.

"Ughh," Mystic groaned, clutching her stomach.

"I told you that stuff wasn't good for you." Phantom said, standing over her with a worried look.

"I'll make it, and it was totally worth it." She said, though from her gurgling belly and the way she was writhing on the floor, he wasn't sure.

Outside, the sky was dark, and thunder was beginning to get louder and more frequent.

"I hate storms." Ashley complained. "I can never sleep during them. And I also hate people who eat my cotton candy while I'm not looking." She glared at Mystic.

"Totally worth it." She groaned. She rolled over onto her back, still clutching her tummy. She wrapped herself up in a cocoon of her tails and began to rock side to side gently.

While Phantom was trying to help her, Ashley got up and started the water in the tub, on cold. After it filled, she jumped in, splashing water onto the floor. The water immediately grew even colder with her presence, almost as if someone had dumped ice in. She shook, stirring the water and getting the dirt out of her fur. As she did, a few very small bits of ice moved through the water. A cold bath to her was like a hot bath to Mystic. It just felt better, so she allowed her body temperature to plummet. She even began to see her breath. When it was just right, she sighed in contentment and began splashing water up into her face. "We're getting a bigger tub too." She said. The tub they had was barely big enough for two.

"We don't really know what they're going to build... We didn't make plans or anything."

"Anything'll be better than here." She took a mouthful of icy water and spit it across the room, splashing the both of them. Most of it got on Phantom, but a little hit Mystic, sizzling on her fur and causing her to yelp. She was too concerned with her own body to chastise her sister however.

"Hey Zys." Ashley said. Zys was near the window, leaning against the wall. His eyes opened when she called his name. "Can you understand me? Nod if yes, shake your head if no." She demonstrated.

He nodded and let out a short buzz.

"Okay, then do you understand what I'm saying? Nod and jump if yes, shake your head and sit for no." She only demonstrated the first part. He stood for a moment, and then shook his head, and nothing else. She closed her eyes. A little bit later, Zys raised his arms. "Ha! Knew it!" Ashley suddenly said. "Zys doesn't understand english, but he can like read our thoughts or emotions or stuff. And that's why he can't talk. Zys, can you like speak telepathically or anything?"

He shook his head and buzzed. Everyone went silent for a while.

"I really hope Hunter's plan will work..." Phantom said out of the blue. "What if we can find and rescue every pokemon that was kidnapped? The only thing we'd have to do then is find their base."

"I really don't think it will be that easy." Ashley said. "It'd be nice, but you know, something always goes wrong."

"But just think how much of a victory this should be. We could save hundreds of pokemon. Just think of the freedom!"

"Not to be a debby downer, but if they've all lost their memories, than what's gonna happen? They'll be all confused, just like Mystic was."

"Yea, but that's better than what they're currently going through." Mystic chimed in, still hiding in her tails. "And with the way we're doing it, we can return them to their families."

"And if we find the main base, maybe we could make whoever did it undo it." Phantom said. "What's wrong?" He asked when he saw the look on Ashley's face.

"I just... I dunno, I fell weird. Maybe it's the storm, but I feel like something bad is gonna happen."


	24. Chapter 22

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Zys the Deoxys

Chp 22

One week passed without major incident. They did end up doing a couple jobs, but they were quick and easy boring ones. Go collect berries, rescue a lost pokemon, collecting a bounty on a rouge poochyena... But one morning, when they entered the main hall, a machop ran up to them.

"Hey, we finished your building. Go on and have a look. And remember Conk Movers the next time you need something built!" He yelled as he walked away in a hurry.

"Sweet!" Ashley said. "Let's go check it out." She started off with some pep in her step.

When they arrived, Ashley let out a sharp whistle.

"Wow, this is pretty nice." Mystic said.

"They really took my quaint idea seriously..." Phantom muttered.

The front was just on the edge of the main path, and was decorated with hedges, giving a bit of privacy to the yard. They path to the hut was paved with gravel, and a small mailbox sat next to it. The main portion of land was taken up by the hut. It was merely a simple wooden dome, but was plenty large, nearly three times the size of their previous living quarters. The rest of the yard was nice and open, with a small straw dummy mounted on one side for training.

On the inside, the area was separated into three sections. The rear had a depression, where a large mattress was set in, easily capable of letting them all sleep comfortably. To the right was a kitchen area, with a small oven and several containers for food, which were all empty. On the left was another depression in the ground, this one deeper and with a water pump over it. The walls were mostly bare, but there were two windows in the front, on either side of the large door, and one big one behind the bed. There were shutters on the windows, and a lever next to each one. Moving the lever moved the shutters. On the walls were several lantern holders, waiting to be lit by the resident fire type when night fell, and protected so as to not burn down the house. The main entrance had a large set of double doors, which were much lighter than they looked, and set so that they would swing closed by themselves.

"This is great. No wonder it cost so much to build." Mystic said, looking up and around. The ceiling had a circular ornamental design to it, a kind of spiral design. She walked forward and turned back. "What?" She asked when she saw Ashley's frown.

"There's no god damn curtains!" She yelled. "Shutters don't do shit!"

"Chill, sheesh. It's nearly perfect."

"We have to go see Hunter and get him to rebind our badges." Phantom said. "But it is a nice place." He added after a moment.

"Well you go do that, I'ma go get some curtains. And I guess I should buy some food to."

"Oh yeah... We won't have free refills and cleaning anymore." Phantom said.

Zys walked forward and carefully pressed one leg onto the fluffy mattress. He immediately drew back, glaring at it. Suddenly his head snapped upwards, and he stared at the ceiling for a bit.

"You can stay here." Mystic told him. "We'll be back in a bit." The group split up, with Ashley heading into town, and them going back to the main base. They went up to Hunter's office once there. "Hey Hunter. We got our own place!" Mystic said excitedly.

"That's wonderful." He stood. He walked over to one wall, and reached into a box, pulling out a large orb. Instead of the usual blue, this one was yellow. "Bury this just in front of your building, or place it somewhere, and touch your badges to it."

"Great. Come visit anytime." She told him while taking it and putting into the box Phantom was carrying. "Come on, let's go get settled." She said. Phantom nodded and they returned to their new home.

"How about here?" Phantom asked when they returned, pointing to the mailbox.

"Sounds good." They dug a small hole and buried the orb there, then touched their badges to the spot. When they did, a click sounded out. "I guess that was it." She touched her badge, causing a beam of yellow light to envelop her like normal, and a few moments later, she appeared a few feet away in another yellow flash. "Yep, there we go."

"This is more like it." Ashley said, jumping on the bed. "Nothing beats a good mattress." The sun had since fallen, and the torches were lit, filling the room with flickering light. When Phantom looked away, she looked over to Mystic and winked, and she winked back. They had already eaten dinner and bathed, so it was nearing bed time.

"Yeah, let's hit the hay already." Mystic said, yawning loudly. She got up and blew out all the lanterns, except for the two outside. There were no windows in the direction the sun rose, only in the north and south. They had hung the curtains, through much trial and error, but they left the front windows uncovered, but shuttered, allowing a little light inside, so they didn't trip if they needed to get up.

A while later, Phantom was out cold. Mystic and Ashley had been staying up, plotting the entire time, and now, they were ready. They got up and left the bed to regroup on the other side of the room.

"Alright, so what's the plan?" Ashley asked.

"We've gotta get him hard first. That'll be the hard part. No pun intended. After that, we're golden. He'll like this, whether he knows it or not." Mystic whispered back.

They started to walk towards them, but Zys buzzed loudly, leaping towards them from his spot leaning against the wall. His arms morphed into hands and grabbed the both of them while protecting them with his body. Several sharpened leaves hit him in the back, cutting him. Phantom awoke and let out a surprised yelp when he saw a pokemon hanging upside down from the ceiling, half phased through it. The bird pokemon dropped down, landing gracefully between them.

The decidueye raised a wing and formed a ghostly arrow, firing it at Zys, who was still trying to protect the girls. The moment after the shot was let loose, his head swiveled around to look at Phantom, who was preparing a thunderbolt. He dove out of the way and the bolt hit the floor.

Meanwhile, the arrow he shot hit just in front of Zys, on his shadow. It exploded in a plume of ghost energy. The pain of the super effective attack caused him to release Mystic and Ashley. The girls dashed out from his prone form, one on either side, and looked at Reaper. The stoic bird said nothing, instead sweeping his wings in front of him and letting loose another wave of leaves. They couldn't help but looked away, so as not to be cut by the many razor like leaves.

Reaper moved quickly, in a near blur, and delivered a powerful kick to Phantom, sending him off the bed and into the wall, where he fell in crumpled mess, clutching his cut up and now bruised self. His body radiated electricity as a defense measure, but it did little to stop Reaper from preparing another arrow, aiming right at his head. Just as he let loose, two beams, one hot and one cold, hit him, causing significant damage and making him lose his aim. The ghost arrow hit the wall next to Phantom and exploded, not damaging the wall, but harming Phantom.

Both the girls continued with flamethrower and ice beam, but Reaper melted into the floor, disappearing again. Phantom managed to get back on his feet, and made his way over to them, and they all began to look around, trying to spot the next attack. Mystic was readying a powerful attack, and flames were licking out from her bared teeth.

"MYSTIC!" Ashley screamed.

Reaper had risen up behind her, his body glowing with energy. Mystic turned around just in time to see him dart forward, aiming his beak right for her throat. She accidently let out her fire blast, empowered by fear, and he dove right into it.

The bright flames blinded them all, and Reaper flew through down, crashing next to Mystic, with his entire body smoldering. His face was horribly burnt and disfigured, and all he did was twitch a few times, before falling still. Mystic stayed where she was, her body locked up as she breathed heavily. She eventually looked to her side. "Did I..."

"Yeah... You okay?" Ashley asked.

"I think... Phantom?"

"I'm fine. What about Zys?"

He buzzed, but remained on the ground.

"Okay, so what the hell just happened?" Ashley asked.

"Well... I guess he was an assassin, probably sent by the Shadow. He must've been avoiding the federation... too many strong pokemon." Phantom said.

"If Zys wasn't here..." Mystic said, still sounding dazed.

"Zys, will you please take care of that?" Ashley said, pointed to the now extinguished corpse.

He shakily got up to his feet. He reached down, carefully picked up the body and walked outside.

"Well, there goes that plan." Ashley said.

"I know, this always happens. Tomorrow." She said, yawning. "I'm exhausted." She walked over to the bed and flopped onto it.

Phantom went outside, seeing Zys standing in the yard. "Will you keep watch?"

Zys looked down at him and nodded, before looking back up and staring at the moon.

Phantom went back inside with a worried look. He joined the girls on the bed, his body starting to ache. He was lying with his bruised side up. He started when he felt a lick on it. He looked to see Ashley licking his wounds. "Uh..."

"Shut it. You and Zys are the only ones who got hurt. So just lie back and take it easy."

"O-okay..." He returned his head to the mattress, but still twitched and squirmed as she touched sore spots. He eventually succumbed to exhaustion as well, leaving only Ashley awake, though she soon joined them.


	25. Chapter 23 (X)

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Zys the Deoxys

Chp 23

"Excuse me..." Mystic's eye fluttered open. When her blurry vision cleared, she saw a pink canine poking her.

"Ahh!" She yelped, rolling away. "Who the-" Phantom and Ashley were both up, expecting another assassin.

The sylveon backed up and held up his ribbons. "I'm sorry to have surprised you. It's Prince, from Lovely Meadows."

"Well why are you here?" Mystic asked.

He reached behind his back and pulled out two papers. "You're missing!" On one paper was a missing person report for Mystic, and on the other was a picture of a dark blue shinx with the listed name "Phantom".

Mystic looked over at him, before looking back at Prince. "We're not lost. We're right here."

"But..." He lowered the posters held in his ribbons, turning them around to look at them. "So... Does this place mean you're a rescue team?"

"Yeah, we are." Ashley said.

"Can I join?"

"Why?!" Mystic asked, sounding more mean and sharp than she intended."

"It sounds fun..." He said, his ears falling back.

"Eh, why not? How about it?" Ashley asked the others.

"I don't know..." Mystic said, and Phantom remained quiet.

"Okay, one for, and two undecided. You're in."

"Wha..." Phantom said.

"Yeah, you can't just make decisions like that." Mystic said.

"How about this? We send him through the training, and if he passes, he joins. The more the merrier I say."

"You never did training." Phantom said quietly.

Her head shot over and she raised a paw to her mouth. "Shh."

"Alright, so where do I have to go?" He asked cheerily.

"We should probably go see Hunter, so I guess he can follow us." Phantom said.

"Alright, we'll take him on a trial, and you're responsible." Mystic said, pointing to her sister.

"Deal. So listen up!" She said, standing tall and proud, puffing out her fluffy chest. Prince stood at similar attention, saluting with a ribbon. "Good. Let's go." All the pokemon, minus Zys, left the building and went back into town. Upon nearing the main base, a commotion could be heard. As they went up the main walk, they could see further into the yard, as there were no doors on the main entrances. When they saw a large red figure, they picked up the pace.

Once they entered the yard, things became clearer. Hunter was standing with his back facing them, and many pokemon were around the yard, all looking at the standoff and forming a circle around it.

"Duchess... No, that would be too convenient. Who are you really?"

"I'm Duchess! Who do you think I am?!" The nidoqueen shouted back. Mystic and Phantom recognized her as the keeper of the newbie dorms.

"No, you are not. The real Duchess, the one you pretended to be, is dead. And has been for years!" Hunter said, becoming angry.

"This is ridiculous! It's a coincidence, we just have the same name." She said, throwing her arms into the air.

"You told us you were born in Mt Frostorm, and once your husband passed away, you decided to come here. Then you started working for us. And then I read a report about a murder of a Nidoqueen and king a few years ago, with startling similarities. And just before the battle of Mt Throned. Wouldn't that be the perfect time to infiltrate the rescue teams?" Hunter said.

"Alright... Fine, I admit it. I was a spy for the Blade, but I'm not anymore. I gave that up years ago." She began to tear up. "I've changed!"

"And how do we know you're not working for the Shadow. Explain that to me!"

"Hunter... please..."

"Dammit I-"

"That's enough!" A loud roar sounded out. Flare swooped out, flying over the gathered pokemon and landing between them.

"Flare, please... You believe me, don't you?"

"Get out." He growled. "You are a threat to every pokemon here."

"Flare... oh my Arceus... You can't be serious!"

"LEAVE!" He roared, blowing a flamethrower right at her.

"You son of a bitch!" She roared back. "I see your plan!" She charged forward, baring her horn. She burst through the flames, and attempted to attack Flare, but his body exploded in flames and he charged forward with greater speed, tackling her squarely with a flare blitz. Upon contact, both their bodies erupted in flames. Through the fire, a pained roar sounded out. 'Duchess' fell back and out of the flames, hitting the ground with a cloud of dust. Blood was leaking liberally from her neck and already pooling on the dirt. The flames died down to show Flare with blood dripping from his claws.

"What are you looking at!?" He roared at the crowd. "Get out of here!" Most of them immediately scattered, breaking up the circle.

"Flare..." Marie said quietly, walking up to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He grunted.

"Did you really have to... do that?"

"Yes. She was a threat to all of us. She could have just left peacefully, but," He shook his head. "What a waste."

Hunter walked forward to them. "I thought you didn't want to be involved." He was irritated.

"I won't wage another war, but I will protect our home."

"Regardless, you shouldn't have done it like that. She was a threat, but she could have known something."

"Whatever." Flare growled and looked away. "Crash!"

"Sir!" The marowak yelled from nearby.

"You're in charge of the barracks."

Team Memories approached now. "Hunter, what the hell just happened?" Mystic asked him. Flare and Marie were already leaving.

"Oh dear... how much of that did you see?"

"Most of it." Phantom said quietly, looking away.

"I'm sorry for that. That could have gone so much better... But this is a taste of what could happen soon. I've been receiving word of missing posters going up all over the continent over the last few days. Soon, I hope to receive word of pokemon being found. This is sure to prompt a response, so stay ready."

"We already got the response." Ashley said. "Some jack-hole tried to kill us last night."

"I'm glad you're all okay. So what brings you here?"

"We got this." Mystic said, moving aside and motioning to Prince, who smiled and waved a ribbon when Hunter saw him. "He needs to enroll in training."

"Sure. There's not much paperwork for established teams. You basically have two options for new teammates. Either sign them on immediately, or have them go through the basic training, like you both did. When they finish, they'll have a badge and can join your team like normal. We can just take him in and get everything taken care of, no effort on your part."

"That's perfect." Ashley said.

"However, I have a friend to bury, so send him to Marie." Hunter said. He turned and went over to 'Duchess', effortlessly picked her up, and began to walk towards the gap between the market and the newbie dorms, to the forest.

"Let's go then. I've got plans for the day, but we have to do this first." Ashley said. They went back inside, and once they did, they saw something they had not before. The walls of the main building, the entire wall, every single space possible, was occupied by missing posters. There were hundreds of them. "Well shit. He wasn't kidding. Anyways, down that hall, last door." Ashley told the sylveon. "We're Team Memories if she asks."

"Okay! Thanks!" Prince said, before trotting off, a bounce in his step.

"What day is it? Friday?" Mystic asked.

"Yep." Phantom said.

"So the test should be tomorrow. Which means we've got him out of our hair for today. So what's the plan?"

"Well, let's go home and eat first." Ashley said, sneakily winking at Mystic when Phantom wasn't looking.

They arrived home, and, true to her word, they started to eat breakfast.

"Phantom, you tired?" Ashley asked once they finished.

"Not really, why?"

"Well you see, you pop a boner all the time while you sleep, and I'm horny, and so is Mystic."

"Wow, have you never even heard of subtlety?" Mystic exclaimed.

"Is that true?"

"Well yeah. I'm not necessarily dripping right now, but I'm ready to go. We've already done it, so why not again, and Ashley wants in this time."

"But it's like, the middle of the day."

"Seriously, what is up with you? I have never seen a male turn down a threesome, ever."

"He's had bad experiences. He's just afraid." Mystic explained. "But really Phantom," She put a paw on his cheek. "You don't have to be afraid, nothing is gonna change, or hurt, or anything. I promise." She leaned forward and whispered the last in his ear, before giving his large ears a quick kiss.

He shivered. "Okay... But how do I... deal with two..."

"Well, lie back and we can show you." Ashley said.

He went over to the bed, quivering nervously, and lied down. He rolled over and raised his head, looking at them over his belly. This caused both of them to laugh at how vulnerable he looked, on his back, limbs in the air, whole body shaking. This in turn caused him to blush in embarrassment.

"So, what's the plan?" Mystic asked.

"Well, we gotta get him hard first. Then, I got first round, then you can have second."

"You really think he's got that much stamina?"

"Hmm, good point. Maybe we should work up to two at a time... Alright, we'll just improvise." Ashley turned to Phantom. "Now you've gotta promise _me_ something." She walked forward and booped his sheath with her nose. "You gotta enjoy this." Before he answered, she stuck out her tongue and drug it up his sheath, sneaking it into the top to tease at his hidden member. He ended up letting out a squeak of surprise.

Mystic quickly joined in, using her paws to massage his sack. He resisted his arousal for a little bit, but soon gave in, much quicker than before, and his jet black cock started to erect. "Fancy~" Ashley commented as she began to work the flesh, coating it in her saliva. As Ashley was able to go further up, it gave Mystic some room to use her mouth, licking on his furry balls every once in a while.

Once he was fully out, Ashley leaned back a bit. "That's a different one." She said. "I'm used to canines." She ran a paw up the side of his conical dick. "How about you join me up here?" She asked Mystic. "Plenty of room."

She left his balls, and went to his right side, while Ashley moved to his left. He had a moment to look at both of them, a predatory lust on their faces, before they both moved in, planting a tongue on either side of his member. He let out a restrained groan as they both began to move, one going up while the other went down. The real thing that made this special was their opposing temperatures. One was cold, while the other was warm. It wasn't much, as they were both holding back, but there was about a ten degree difference between them. He quickly began to leak pre, which dribbled down his shiny cock-flesh. It became a game between the girls as to who could get more to fall on their side, leading to them pushing him around, and pressing both their tongues and paws all over him. Competitive spirit took over, and their licks and pushes grew more and more urgent and fierce.

This was broken when he let out a full fledged moan, no longer able to hold it in. They both smiled. For Mystic, she felt victorious at having broken his silence. For Ashley, it meant she was closer to the real deal. They stopped playing and really started to lick, taking turns lapping, and even suckling on his tip. This quickly brought him near climax, his member throbbing violently and pre soaking him.

He let out an upset groan when all the feeling stopped. He would have reached down and finished himself off, if Mystic didn't plant her paw on his chest. He struggled a bit, paws flailing, but she whispered into his ear. "Go get her~" She purred.

"Huh?" He asked, looking forward. Ashley was presenting, though her pussy was blocked out from his vision by his own cock. Nevertheless, the message was clear.

"Fuck-" Ashley started but was interrupted when he suddenly mounted her and began to wildly thrust against her rear. "I thought you said he was soft and gentle!" Ashley yelped in pleasant surprise.

"We must have really set him off." Mystic said, equally surprised. Phantom was hardly thinking beyond physical pleasure at the moment. He was sooooo close, and just one more thrust, if he could just get in!

"Ow, hey not there!" She yelped when he almost penetrated her anus.

The sound of pain made him calm down, at lease mentally. He took a moment to catch his breath, all while his groin was screaming for release. "S-s-sorry." He muttered. He still gave a few weak unconscious thrusts, spurting a bit more pre into her already white fur.

"It's fine. I know you're ready, just take a sec and line up first." She shifted a bit, raising herself a bit further, and causing her furry crotch to rub against him.

He nearly bit his lip to keep from thrusting again, and shifted back a bit for more room. "Okay... Ready?" He asked with a shaky voice.

"Just fuck me!" She demanded. He thrust forward twice more, missing both times, before he finally struck gold, and dug deep, hilting her in one powerful hump. When she felt his knot tap against her rear, she clinched her legs. She wasn't going to let him get in that easily. He couldn't help but close his eyes and murr while he nestled into her neck and began to pound her rear at a moderate pace.

"Help me out here." Mystic said, but he was too busy to pay her much mind. He couldn't help but nestle deeper into Ashley's fluffy neck fur, giving him a pleasant experience on both ends. The magical valley that was her pussy felt amazing. Unlike her body, it was plenty warm, just shy of normal body temperature. His first time had been so quick and stunning that he hadn't taken the time to really enjoy what he was sticking his cock into. Now, he felt the grooves and rivets, every intricate facet of the female anatomy. He could even feel his tip touching against her clenched cervix, a barrier he felt the strange compulsion to overcome. As he lay on her back, basking in the wonderful warm feelings, he tried to imagine what it looked like.

A whistle broke his trance, and he looked up. His eyes went wide and Ashley moaned when his dick gave a big throb and bigger glob of pre. The set up was a bit awkward, but it got the result they wanted. Ashley had lowered her head, and moved it to the side. Phantom hadn't noticed as she did it slow while he followed her every motion. Mystic had moved her rear right above his head, putting her vixen vulva right in his face. It was engorged and open a bit with her arousal, giving him the faintest glance at her heated interior. He stuck out his tongue and leaned forward, but stopped short, looking under her mound and down at her face, as if asking permission.

She smiled. "You've gotten this far, go on~" She urged, pivoting her hips towards his muzzle.

Silently thankful, he immediately went to exploring her vagina, all while still slowly humping Ashley. He had slowed down, but she didn't mind. As long as there was hot meat inside her, she was happy. And she had much more endurance than he did, so hopefully he would be able to make her squirt before he finished.

He was too busy examining Mystic to pay much attention to Ashley. Watching her display this was one thing, and had been nearly debilitating even with the resistance he had been putting up, but this... this was a whole other thing. The ability to touch and lick everything she had, however and whenever he wanted, it was just so much better. And the smells filling the room were starting to get to him. The scent of sex was everywhere, along with the arousal of two females.

He touched the tip of his tongue to her clit, swirling around it for a moment before moving down. He licked off the dew that had formed on her lips, before gently pushing his tongue inside. The liquid inside tasted almost like warm water, mostly flavorless but with a unidentifiable something extra. The consistency was much thicker however. Despite the lack of a delicious taste, he found that he couldn't get enough of it. His lustful licking was so fervent that he ended up getting his face covered in her juices.

"Hey big guy, why don't you step it up." Ashley said from under him. "I mean, we've got all day, but- mmm~" She purred as he started thrusting harder. "That's more like it. And no knot, you should save that for later." She started putting her own force into it, causing the sound of slapping wet fur to become audible.

He felt like he should say something... but he just couldn't work up the effort to do so. Instead, he accidently groaned, quite loudly.

"Sounds like he's close..." Mystic said. Her voice was off, as if she was only half conscious. "AHH!" She suddenly screamed. Her body clenched and shivered, and her pussy did the same. Phantom backed off, surprised by her actions, just in time to get his face soaked by her gushing honey. At the same time, Ashley quickly started to grow cold, bitterly so. He yelped and began to pull away, but stumbled as her tails flared out. This caused him to lose balance and fall on his butt. He then rolled onto his back with a groan.

"GO!" Ashley shouted. They both spun around and leapt at him. His member was left in the air, still throbbing and not having lost a single inch. Before he could do anything, they both began lapping at his obsidian flesh. Their licking was vicious, as if spurred on by some ravenous hunger for cum. They each brought up a paw, cradling a testicle each, while using their respective element to enhance the feeling. His sack scrunched up a moment later as the valves turned, and seed began to flow.

He let out a long sigh when he blew his load, sending sperm flying up into the air, a hearty throb accompanying each spurt. It flew up into the air almost two feet, before falling back down, painting the girls' fur with spunk. He couldn't help but thrust his hips, causing his eruptions to cause much more mess, getting some on him, on the girls, on the floor, everywhere. When he finished, his body went limp, though faint trails were still leaking from his tip. Ashley reached down and squeezed his sensitive knot between her paws, causing him to shudder and the flow to increase briefly. This caused him to look up at them, to see them licking each other clean.

When they knew he was looking, they kissed deeply, putting plenty of tongue into it. They soon separated and lied down next to him, idly licking off the aftermath from his fur. Mystic looked at his face, eager to see his reaction, but she was disappointed. "He's out cold..."

"What? You think that's it?" Ashley said, her tongue hanging out as she panted lightly. "I didn't get off, so I've got dibs when he wakes up."


	26. Chapter 23B (X)

Prince the Sylveon

Clara the Leafeon

Chp 23 B

"Hi! I wanna join a rescue team!" Prince told Marie, nearly bouncing in excitement.

"Alright. Have a team in mind?"

"Yea, Team Memories!"

"Alright. Paw print here. And the test is tomorrow. You don't have to participate if you don't feel ready. Go speak to Crash either way."

Prince signed it, and rushed towards the yard, where the marowak was directing a small group of other pokemon.

"Hi, I was told to come see you about a test." He said, a bit more calm, but still giddy with excitement.

"Well that's good." Crash said, leaning on his bone. "Because of recent events, I'm stepping up the test to today, and at a different location than usual. The group leaves in a few hours if you think you're ready."

"Yea, I'm a tough guy!" He said, flaring out his ribbons to make himself seem bigger, though Crash was unimpressed.

"We'll see. Just wait around here."

Prince sat down right where he was. Crash gave him a look, then turned back to what he was doing. The sylveon quivered a bit, but otherwise just sat there...

Over the hour, he grew both more excited and impatient. By the end, he was playing, switching his weight all to one side, before switching back, so that he swayed wildly from side to side, and was humming loudly.

"Alright! Everyone for the trial, over here!" Crash called out. Prince perked up and sprinted over. A group of around fifteen pokemon quickly assembled. "Alright, let's move out!"

The group traveled for about twenty minutes, heading southeast of the city. On the way, they passed by the beach and the new base, before going onto the sand for a bit. They eventually came to a cave.

"Alright. Here we are. So, you will go in, and retrieve an object from the end. Easy and simple. You'll be in groups of two or more. If you don't have a group, step forward." About half the pokemon did so. "You and you, you two, and... you both." He said, pointing from pokemon to pokemon, until he pointed at Prince, and a leafeon. Based on her toned and lithe body, she was quite fit and female. "If you attack or harm any of the other participants..." His voice faded as Prince turned his attention to his partner.

"Hi there!" Prince greeted her, extending a ribbon.

"Clara. And you are?"

"I'm Prince! You ready to do this?"

"I've been at this for a while, and this cave is filled with water types, so you got pretty lucky."

"But then why haven't you passed the test yet?"

"I'd rather not say... Just don't do anything to screw me over, alright?"

"Of course. I wanna pass this too." He said.

"Good, now let's get to work."

A few other groups went in first, then their turn came up last. "Alright, you two, go on." Crash motioned.

"I'll lead." Clara said. Prince fell in line and they ventured into the cave. Once they were in the thick of it, the cave was dim, but not dark, lit by sparse torches. Several wild pokemon showed up, but Clara drove them away nearly instantly, merely lashing near them with vines to send them running.

"You're really strong." Prince commented.

"If I could just take this test alone, I'd have passed a long time ago. Not to be rude, but if you sit back and do nothing, we'll pass this thing just fine."

"But I should prove myself. If I don't do anything, then I didn't earn anything." He whined.

"That's good ethics you got there. But I could care less right now, I am passing this." She said, speeding up the pace.

As they walked, she kept her tail firmly planted over her rear, though Prince wasn't looking there. He was far too busy looking around and listening to the dripping cave. Thanks to her power and talent, they made it to the end in record time, where there was a small crate full of badges.

"Yes!" She hissed. She ran forward and grabbed one. "Now we just have to leave."

"So why did you never pass before? We did this pretty easy." Prince asked, cocking his head.

"You've been a good sport. Alright, so I'm a sexy lady I guess, cause every time I've done this, a male was my partner, and he tried to get lucky. Usually, that ended with a kick to the balls. Which means I got disqualified."

"Oh, I'm sorry. You must've gotten worried when we got partnered."

"Yea, but you did good." Clara said with a smile. "Thanks for not blowing it."

"You're welcome." He smiled back. Until he got a whiff of something. His nose twitched as he tried to smell it again. When he did, his eyes went wide.

"Oh shit!" She cursed. "The fucking suppressant wore off. Now listen, I came this far, I don't want to have to hurt you."

Prince's expression changed, looking much more smug and his voice deepened greatly, no longer sounding innocent. "Well, I don't want to hurt you either. You have a problem, one that _I_ can help you with. So why not bend over, and we can both enjoy ourselves."

"What happened to you? Does my heat really change you that much? Shit, just back off. I'm not some whore for you, and I haven't come this far to fail now!" She growled, baring her fangs and adopting an aggressive stance.

"Your body tells me a different story." He turned and raised a leg, proudly displaying his pink dog cock. "It calls to me, wants me to put out your fire~"

"Hell no!" She threatened, a vine coming out and whipped the ground next to him.

"That's a shame... because you're already mine." He purred, rumbling loudly.

Her nose twitched as she finally noticed it. The smell in the air, laden with a different kind of pheromones.

"It's a special type of attract, honed with the experience of countless matings, and many females left with swollen bellies."

"You... you stay... away..." She said, starting to pant, and finding it hard to speak, as if her mouth was full of cotton. Out of her control, her body slowly began to pad around, until her rear raised and front lowered. "You bastard!" She screamed, her voice becoming hoarse.

"Shh~" He whispered as he approached. "No more words." He licked across her swollen vulva, causing her to yelp.

"I swear to Arceus, back off! Or I'll-"

"You'll what? If you haven't noticed, you're already mine." He smiled, licking his lips and slowly mounting her.

Her body twitched and she grit her teeth as she put her all into resisting, but was unable to wrest control. "I'll... I'll hurt you." She threatened, but at this point it was an empty one. "I'll rip-!" She gasped when he thrust home inside her, taking her virginity. "No..." She whined.

He gently licked the short fur of her neck. "It's okay." He purred, before nibbling on one leafy ear.

"I won't give you the satisfaction of breaking me!" She growled.

"I don't think you have a choice..." He mused. "In that case, I won't hold back." He smiled deviously as he immediately went to town on her rear, pounding her hard and fast. She let out an unintentional grunt that had the faintest bit of pleasure in it. His ear twitched, but he didn't push her about it. Instead, he redoubled his efforts, his hips now a blur.

"I'll..." She tried to say more threats, but all she could do was lower her head and drool. He could swear that she was starting to move back into him, but it must have been a mistake. After all the fight she had put up, how could she submit so easily.

He grinned, knowing how she really felt. Too bad they had to hurry, as he would have loved to show her a really good time, but giving her an egg would have to do for now. His breeding instincts were working fast, and his knot was nearing its max, just waiting to seal her up. He gave a few more powerful thrusts but made little progress.

It was his turn to yelp when he felt something squeeze his full balls. They were especially sensitive with being on the verge of releasing their contents. The squeeze wasn't much, as the vines were wobbling and barely under her control, but it was certainly felt. The pain caused him to drive his hips forward in an attempt to get away from the pain. This forced his knot into her tight cunny, which in turn made her vines fall limp as she came. His cum burst out, filling her womb in short order. Deep inside, life began as sperm met ovum.

"Ahhhh," He sighed, legs giving out and pinning the female to the ground. "Treat my child well." He said, licking her cheek.

She scowled at him. "I hate you."

"Too late for that." He said, sounding smug. Underneath him, she stood, exerting her full strength to lift the male locked to her crotch.

"I'm not failing this test again!" She roared, starting to walk to the exit. "And you, you are my mate now. I'm not raising a kid all by myself."

"Who do you think you are? You can't tell me what to do!" He yelled. He would have done something, but there was little he could do, tied as he was. He was still busy giving her more seed to ensure she carried. He let out a squeak when she wrapped another vine around his balls.

"Amazing how quick a male changes when you threaten those things. Now, I am the boss." She warned him.

"Fine." He said, having no intention to actually stay.


	27. Chapter 24

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Zys the Deoxys

Clara the Leafeon

Prince the Sylveon

Hunter the Scizor

Flare the Charizard

Marie the Mienshao

Chp 24

"Uhh, miss?" A familiar voice asked, poking Mystic in the shoulder.

She opened her eyes. "Oh, hi Prince... again."

"Yea... so..."

"Two more girls? What, you trying to make a harem?" Another voice, female, asked from out of Mystic's sight.

"No! I told you, I had to say goodbye."

"Why, what's going on?" Mystic asked, still half asleep. Her fur was still matted from yesterday's activities, and the room smelled of it.

"You see, I met this girl during the test and..."

"He put an egg in me." Clara said frankly.

"Yea... So I can't join you guys anymore... sorry." He said, rubbing the back of his head and blushing lightly.

"No male's going to knock me up and bail." Clara said to herself.

"Yea so... I guess we're a rescue team now!" He said, immediately perking up, and his usual energy returning out of nowhere. "So you two aren't missing? Cause there's been a lot of pokemon going missing recently."

"Wait, you didn't say anything about missing." The leafeon said. "That sounds like a job."

"Well, I was missing, but I'm found, so no need for anything." Mystic said, rising to her feet. "If you are a rescue team, you should go get a regular job to start."

"What, you don't think we're good enough?!" Clara asked, sounding seriously offended.

"No, she didn't mean it like that!" Prince said quickly. "She was just offering a tip!"

"And why are you defending her? I'm your mate now, so you should be on my side!" Clara yelled at him. "And why are you acting so different now? What is with you?"

"I guess I should explain... Whenever I get... aroused, I just kinda black out. Those who were around always tell me that I, uh, had sex with them."

"Sound's like multiple personality disorder, but with sex... Guess I hooked a unique one. Whatever, let's get moving." She said, her leafy tail going behind his head and pulling him along.

"Ok... Bye!" He shouted back as the pair left.

"Well, there goes that." Ashley said.

"Ehh, I'm fine with it. I like our current group formation. No other males to worry about." Mystic said, patting Phantom's side with a paw. He was awake, but hadn't yet gotten up. His face looked like a drowned rat, matted and dried in awkward ways. This state of mess continued all the way down his underbelly to his crotch. She looked at Ashley, who was also messy. "We should probably clean up before we do anything else." She said, assuming she looked similar. After Phantom woke back up from the first round, they had done two more, letting him cum inside both of them, before they all passed out for the night.

She turned on the bath, and they all got in. She left the water lukewarm, at a middle ground of heat, so that neither she or Ashley were uncomfortable.

"So, how was it?" Ashley asked Phantom.

"Uh... it..." He said, looking down in the water with a blush.

"C'mon, spit it out!" She said, splashing him. "After all we did, you shouldn't be shy."

He took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly. "Fun." He squeaked, nearly silent.

"We're by no means done. Right sis?"

"Of course. We're a team, and we've gotta _bond_ ~" She said, putting emphasis on the last word.

"That's not how you're supposed to do it..."

"Well, I think it'll make us a stronger team. Consider it endurance training." She said, actually sounding serious.

"Okay." He didn't sound too sure. "I'm kinda sore."

"You'll get used to it. A couple more fun nights, and you'll feel like a champ." Ashley told him.

Once they were all clean and dry, Mystic said, "So, what's the plan for today? Any ideas..." When nobody responded, she said, "I guess we should go ask Hunter then."

They departed for the main base, and this time, all was quiet. They went up to Hunter's office and opened the door.

"There you... oh, apologies." Hunter said upon seeing them. "I thought you were someone else. Now is not really a good time..." He said, sounding worried.

"Why? What's going on?" Mystic asked.

"I can't say..." He fell silent for a moment. "On second thought, please stay. I could use help." He let out a heavy sigh. "I'm afraid. This could go very wrong."

"So what's-"

"I'm here." Flare said, opening the door and coming in. "What is it?"

"Flare... I know what you've been up to." Hunter said.

A dire look fell on his face. "What do you mean exactly?" He asked with a squint.

"I was discussing recent events with the mail pelipper and conversation turned to our team. He told me that you had been shipping artifacts to an uncharted island. He would have respected your privacy, but the conditions were so strange that he thought it necessary to tell me."

"Uh-huh, and?"

"Well, after your actions as of late... I have no choice but to assume the worst. Explain everything to me, immediately."

"Oh, that's it? I have a friend out there, and he's a bit eccentric. He doesn't really like company, so I instructed Pelipper to leave the packages, groceries and such, on the doorstep, so my friend would never be seen. Do you really need to grill someone like me over that?" He asked, sounding a bit irritated.

"What about those artifacts you sent us to collect? The ones that pokemon died over?" Mystic asked.

Flare looked over at her, giving her a death glare, and growling.

"What? Is this true?" Hunter asked, and Mystic nodded. "Flare? Care to explain? You should know most of all that artifacts must be donated to the foundation for safekeeping."

"You little bitch." He grunted, still looking at Mystic.

"And that's not all. I assume based on your reaction that you were shipping those artifacts out there. Pelipper also told me that he waited around one day, and a typhlosion came out to get the package. I assume this to be Hearth. The odds of your story actually being true is thus astronomical. I have no choice but to detain you. Please come quietly." Hunter said, standing up.

"You really think you can?! How dare you do this to me!" Flare roared, his wings splaying wide as he shot flames at Hunter. He was able to dodge, but Flare flapped his wings, busting right through the roof and taking to the sky.

"Damn it all!" Hunter yelled. "How could he do this?! Follow me, now!" He commanded. He led the way downstairs, walking with a purpose to Marie's office. "Marie!" He shouted, but once the door opened, his jaw dropped. "No... please Arceus no..." The room was empty. He stepped back, leaned against the wall, and put his head in his claws. "No..." He kept repeating.

The team stepped in, where Mystic found a slip of paper. "Dear Hunter," She said aloud as she began to read. "I'm sorry, but if you're reading this, Flare and I have left. He told me you wanted to talk to him, and he assumed the worst. Guess he was right, and you found us out. You always had a little detective in you. It is true. We have been working with Hearth for almost two years now. Believe it or not, he is not as evil as you think. We have good reason for our actions. It's a complex idea, so I don't have room to explain it here, but I doubt you'd understand. You've always had a black and white outlook. No matter what, please don't come looking for us. It's over. Goodbye Hunter, you were a good friend. Signed Marie."

"Wow..." Phantom said. "Hunter, are you okay?" He asked, looking back outside.

"Yes. I'll make it." He said. He lifted his head, and his shiny shell was wet. "I heard it all. And we're going after them. We know where to go, and they'll be ready for us. Are you prepared?"

"Yea! Let's go fuck 'em up!" Ashley shouted.

"I agree. Let's end this." Mystic said.

"I appreciate your bravery. Most would have walked away."

"And count us in too." Another voice said from behind them. They all turned back to the hall, where two pokemon were, a leafeon and a sylveon.

"Are you sure? I can't stand people getting hurt..." Prince said with a worried look.

"Well I'm going, and you're coming with. You don't have to fight." Clara said.

"Who are you?" Hunter asked.

"Acquaintances of them. And a fresh team looking for something to do."

"No, I apologize but this is far too dangerous for you to come with." Hunter told them.

"I'm going with. If you wanna stop me, put those claws to use and fight."

"I... But..." Hunter said, not sure how to handle her. "Fine. We leave for the docks in one hour. Meet us there unless you change your mind."

"Good. Come." She commanded Prince. He willingly turned and followed her away.

"Well, we need to go get Zys and we'll meet you there." Mystic said.

"We should have everything we need, but are you sure Zys should come?" Phantom asked.

"Yep. You saw how he handled that decidueye." Mystic said. "He's probably the strongest of us."

They left, and went back home, where Zys was waiting. "Hey Zys, first, do you mind us mating in front of you?" Mystic asked.

He cocked his head.

"I'll take that as a no. Anyways, we're going on another adventure, so let's hit the road."

They arrived at the docks after taking a long detour through town to kill time. Hunter was standing at one end next to a sizable wooden ship. When they got closer, they saw a large bird pokemon, Pelipper, and two large lapras at the helm of the ship.

"There they are. Ready to go?"

"Yep. You owe me though." The mail bird said. "This boat is supposed to be going across the ocean for a shipment."

"Of course. You'll be paid well for helping the rescue foundation. All aboard. It's time."

They all got on the ship, and quickly set sail, the two lapras carrying the ship out of port.

"Wait up!" Clara shouted from the docks, dashing to the end of the pier.

"Go." Hunter told Pelipper, who was guiding the lapras.

Clara saw them continue, and shot out two vines, wrapping around the mast, and another wrapped around Prince, who gulped just before she yanked them both through the air and onto the boat. "You bastard!" She shouted at Hunter, slapping his arm with a vine. "You tried to leave us behind!" She continued her assault, smacking at Hunter, though not really trying to harm him.

"Land!" Pelipper called out. He drifted back down and landed on the deck. "Not long now. We'll let you off, and sail back out in case things get bad. I'll keep a watch out for when you're ready to leave."

"Alright. Here's the plan. We can't let anyone escape, so we'll divide and conquer. One powerhouse per team, so Clara, Prince and I will be one, and you four are the other team."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Soon, the boat stopped at the small dock, allowing them all to get off, before it slipped away into the distance. The island was quite small, and only one structure adorned it, a large mansion. They all went to the front door, and entered the building. Above the double doors was a sign that read "Home". Inside, they found a lavish entry room, with pictures of strange pokemon on the walls.

"What pokemon is that?" Mystic asked.

"I have no idea. Likely an unidentified species. It doesn't matter, keep moving." Hunter said. "Stairs." He ordered, beginning to move up to the second floor. Clara and Prince were right behind him.

Once they reached the top, Hunter directed the other two pokemon down the right side, while he went down the left. They each opened the few doors they came upon, looking inside to see empty bedrooms. Spread across the rooms were a total of seven beds. At the end of the hall was a large set of double doors. They met at them and Hunter made an attempt to open them. "Locked. Stand back." He said, rearing back and slashing his claws in an x shape. When his claws hit the door, sparks flew off, and he was forced back.

"Wuss." Clara commented. "Let me." She grew a large bundle of vines, and shot them forward and crashing into the wood. The same yellow sparks flew out and the door was left unharmed. "Well damn."

"Yes... There seems to be a barrier of sorts. We won't get in with brute force, so we need a key."

"Hello?" A soft voice asked from behind the door. "Is anyone out there?"

"Yes! Who is this?" Hunter said urgently, pressing his ear against the door.

"I'm Mew... Are you here to give me lunch? Hearth hasn't shown up yet..."

"Hearth? We are here to bring him to justice. Are you being held prisoner?"

"YES!" She said, elation entering her voice. "Please, you have to let me out of here! There's an orb that stops any move from going in or out of this room. If you can destroy that, or find the key, I can rescue him!"

"Him who?"

"My mate, Mewtwo. Hearth has been using me to keep him in line. You have to hurry. If he catches you here, he'll destroy you."

"It's alright, we're a rescue team. We'll get you out of here." Hunter reassured her.

"Rescue team?" She asked. "I don't know what that is, but if you're here to rescue us, you'll have to fight Hearth and his goons."

"Okay, let's go." He said, nodding at the other two pokemon.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Mystic led the way through the ground floor. It was completely empty, seemingly abandoned, as food was still lying on the table in the dining room. The room was large and had a circular table with many charts on the walls. At the far end of the room was an out of place opening, looking like a hidden wall that had been left open, with a stairway leading down.

"This place is really creepy..." Phantom said.

"Don't freak out on me." Mystic told him. "This is the big climax."

"Yea, let's get in there and do this." Ashley said, stepping past Mystic and towards the stairs.

"We're right behind you." Hunter said, coming into the room. "I take it you haven't found anything else? We found a captive on the second floor, but they're locked away."

"Alright." Phantom said. He took a deep breath. "Let's go." He started down the steps first.

"Well, I knew you would come." A gruff voice said as they descended. When they reached the bottom, one by one, they entered a large room, with doors leading in several other directions. In the center of the room were two pokemon.

"Of course he did. You know him. But I didn't expect the company." Marie said. She put her arm out to stop Flare as he tried to step forward.

"Hunter! Get out of here!" Flare growled. "This is for the best."

"I cannot. You have committed a crime, and I will bring you both in." Hunter said. "Leave them to me. You all go on ahead." The other pokemon split up, Clara and Prince going for the western door, and Team Memories going for the eastern.

"Not so fast!" Flare growled, breathing fire at them. Ashley had to roll out of the way, and got separated from the others. Rather than risk a burn, she dashed for the northern hall, and away from the charizard.

Hunter flew forward and smacked Flare's snout away before he could attack the fleeing pokemon again. Flare responded with a growl and swung his claws through the air, forcing Hunter to retreat. His powerful wings gave him excellent mobility, greater than that of the charizard.

"Last time Hunter. Get out of here. I don't want to kill you, but if it means we can save more lives, I will."

"What are you talking about?! Saving lives?!"

"Hunter... please. Just go. I don't want to have to do this..." Marie said. She didn't sound sure, but she did adopt her fighting stance.

"Marie, you can't be serious. This is madness!" Hunter shouted, losing his cool.

"That's it! No holding back!" Flare roared, launching a powerful fire blast.

Hunter was too slow, and only managed to raise his claws in defense. The flames burned his steel body, causing him to grunt in pain. "I see you aren't holding back... I'm sorry..." Hunter said. His badge, on the back of one claw, began to glow.

"Are you serious?!" Flare yelled. "You can't use that!"

Hunter's body was enveloped in a purple cocoon of energy, before it burst outward, revealing his mega evolved body. "I'm sorry, but I won't hold back." He vanished from sight for a moment, before appearing in front of Flare, now much taller than him. He slashed his claws at him, leaving a bloody line on his chest.

Flare grunted and moved forward in a powerful fire cloaked tackle. Hunter weaved aside, the attack only glancing one arm, and he spun around to deliver another attack. Before his claws could make contact with Flare, a powerful whip like punch hit his back. He was so surprised by the hit that it threw him off balance and tossed him forward into the still flaming charizard's back. He hissed at the feeling of fire cooking his steely skin, his small wings buzzing loudly as he darted away. While he was incapable of flying, his strong wings were capable of lifting him an inch or two off the ground and greatly aiding his speed and mobility. "Marie... I thought you might come quietly..." He said, a deep sadness overcoming him for a moment.

His head raised up, a fire of his own burning in his eyes, one of determination. He lowered his head and flew forward once again, his head turning silver as he delivered a powerful head butt to Marie, sending her skidding back. As she was moved back, she gave him another sharp crack with her whip like fur. His carapace was thick and strong, but her attacks were powerful. A weaker pokemon would have been left with broken bones. He twisted in the air just in time to avoid another flamethrower from Flare. He retreated for a moment to catch his breath. All three were left panting and glaring at each other.

"Hunter, this doesn't have to happen!" Marie shouted.

"No more words." Hunter said, shaking his head. He raised both his claws, pointing the open ends at both Marie and Flare. A lightning fast beam of light shot out, hitting both of them with a shimmering explosion. It did little damage, but blinded them briefly, giving him the opening he needed. In a blur of speed accompanied by frenzied buzzing, he flew forward, launching into a wave of speedy blows, hitting all of Flare's unguarded spots with his acrobatics. Using his sharp claws, he tore and raked at Flare, creating new wounds and opening old scars. The attack ended with a glowing white jab to the chest, where the large scar from Boss was. The mega power infused move hit hard, which along with the old wound, caused Flare to cough up blood and fall to his knees.

"FLARE!" Marie screamed. Before she could even twitch a muscle, Hunter swung his broad claw on the blunt end, smacking her away and into a wall, leaving a small dent. She got back up and ran for them, but she was too slow.

Hunter continued his assault, swinging his claws in an x shape slash, without the bug typing. This cut deep across Flare's chest, exposing a bit of bone. He then swung both his claws again, this time horizontally, cutting Flare's long neck. Flare let out one last grunt as he was decapitated. His wings flared out in one final spasm and his tail flame went out, before he collapsed. All was silent in Hunter's ears, only the pounding of his heart was audible in the heat of the moment. He did not hear Marie's scream, or her threats to him as she leapt and dove right at him.

He did however raise a claw and caught her high jump kick, grabbing her knee, the force of the kick pushing him back, before he slammed her into the ground. She lost her breath from the slam, but was not anywhere near done, trying to whip him with both arms. This was stopped when he leaned down and clamped his claws on her arms, holding them down while he planted his feet on her legs, pinning her completely.

"You son of a bitch! How could you?!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to escape his hold. She swung her fur sleeves at him, but couldn't build up enough speed to whip him. She even tried to bite at his arms and head butt him, but couldn't manage that either. She settled for spitting in his face.

He closed on eye as she spat in it, but didn't bother to wipe it off. "Now tell me. WHY?!" He roared.

Her entire body clenched, and she looked like she was about to tell him to go fuck himself, but her expression softened, only for a second. "Fine."

"HOW?! How could you think such a thing was okay?!"

"Because it is!"

"No." Hunter shook his head. "Evil is evil, no matter the intention."

"Know what?"

"I don't know... What you have done is unforgivable!"

"Well, you had better kill me. Because if you don't, I'll kill you. After what you did to-" She was silenced by Hunter, who crushed her neck in one claw.

He stood up slowly, turned, and took one step forward, before he fell to his knees. Tears were already splashing the ground, and he looked up and let out a mournful yell.

"Is this the right place?" A new voice asked as he came down the steps.

"Who... Oh, yes. This is it." Hunter said quietly.

"Very well." The new pokemon looked to the east. "That is the way." He said, before calmly walking that way, leaving Hunter on his own again.


	28. Chapter 25

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Zys the Deoxys

Clara the Leafeon

Prince the Sylveon

Hunter the Scizor

Flare the Charizard

Marie the Mienshao

Chp 25

"So if we're mates now, we should probably know more about each other. Anything you wanna tell me?" Prince asked as they walked.

"I dunno... I'm more curious about you. Well, my real name is Chlorophyll, but that's way too long, so I go by Clara. I came from a small town in the woods, took the exam six times until I passed... Now, it's your turn."

"So I guess I... change somehow when I get aroused. It makes sense... Are you really pregnant with my child?"

"Pretty sure. After what you did, I doubt I'm not. My heat suppressant wore off and you went from happy go lucky to total jerk, like that." She said, flicking her tail sharply, making a whoosh sound. "And then after you knot deflated, you were back to normal."

"I remember waking up wrapped in your vines on your back... and I remember going through the cave, but there's just a blank space in the middle..." He said.

As they walked down the hall, the walls changed from normal building walls, to stone, to jail cells. All of them were empty however, most even had the doors open.

"If these things were being used... Maybe we shouldn't be here? For someone to need this many jails, they would have to be pretty strong."

"Exactly. So we're here to stop them. You'll need to grow more of a backbone if you're gonna be on my team."

"Sorry... I'm kind of a pacifist. I can't stand violence..."

"Well I'm sure we'll find some here, so you best get used to it right now. Speaking of which, this looks important." She said as they reached a large iron door. She pushed her side against it, having to put in great effort to push the heavy door open. The door let out a sickening screech as the rusty hinges moved.

"Well, it seems I have guests." A male voice said from inside.

Clara darted around the corner and into the room, with Prince following in much more cautiously. They were in a large dome like area, with what looked like a makeshift dock. It would have served as the perfect way to move captives in and out silently, as the way outside was underwater. Standing close to the water was a flygon.

"Grit. Nice to meetcha'." He said.

"Who are you and why are you here?" Clara demanded.

"Seems you weren't briefed too clearly. I'm one of the four generals. Grit the flygon, recruiter. And I'm trying to leave. I doubt I can hold my breath long enough to make my escape however..." He said, turning his long neck and looking out at the water.

"Then we have to bring you in." She said.

"Do you really? I'd rather not fight, as I'm not that kind of pokemon, but I do plan to go free."

"It's too late for that. You're coming with us." She warned him, taking a step forward.

"I'd like to see you stop me." He said, his voice deepening and eyes squinting. His wings spread wide and his antennae twitched as a wave of sand and wind blew off of him, filling the air with particles.

Clara saw his plan, and immediately went back and pushed the door shut before he could fly out.

"Clever." He said, though he was obscured by the sandstorm. "I'll just have to take you both out."

"I thought you said you didn't want to fight?!" Prince yelled.

"Trust me, it won't be a fight." He said menacingly. A moment later, he flew by, passing close enough to be seen, and swinging his claws at them as he passed. The next moment he disappeared again.

"Shit, stand your ground!" Clara barked, vines coming out and waving around her in a defensive net. Soon, a wave of sharp sound cut right through some of them. "Damn... he's smart. Prince, stay here, guard the door." She walked out into the sand.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?!" Prince shouted at her, but she was already out of sight.

She continued on, carefully feeling the ground as she went. Grit seemingly stopped his attacks, though the storm continued, if anything getting worse, with the wind now howling. Once she felt she was in a good spot, she stopped, looked around, and raised her rear. Her tail quickly began to wave high in the air, while a vine went back and rubbed at her lips. "Ohh Grit~ Come and get some~" She said in a sultry voice.

She was suddenly pinned from behind, the dragon type pinning her to the ground and shoving the vine away. "What is this?" He asked. She knew he was smirking, though she could barely see him above her. "Giving up? Too horny to go on?" He teased, grinding his scaly crotch against her. She could feel his hidden shaft growing.

"Yea..." She muttered. "That little boy back there can't possibly satisfy me like a dragon could... Please, can I come with you?"

"Of course. But I'll be taking you unconscious, if that's alright. Can't know if you're playing me." He pressed a clawed hand to the back of her head.

"How about you fuck me? That would prove it..." She said, acting shy.

"That it would... But what about your companion?"

"I told you, he's a total pushover. He would probably just stand there."

"Well then." He suddenly penetrated her with his ribbed dick, large, but only half erect.

"And could you kill this sand? It's really irritating." She complained, grinding against him.

"Fine. It was getting hard to keep it up anyways." A moment later, the sand storm died down, all the sand in the air drifting to the ground.

"What..." Prince said. "What the hell?!" He asked, his voice starting to deepen. A wolfish grin crossed Clara's face. "Get off my bitch!" Prince roared. When Grit turned his head, she used the distraction to slam the vine that was still between her legs into his crotch, hitting the balls contained inside.

He let out a pained grunt and pulled back. "Fuckin' whore!" He roared. His claws swung through the air viciously, though Clara managed to avoid the worst of it, only being knocked a few feet away.

Behind Grit, Prince opened his maw, firing a brilliantly colored rainbow beam. Little did either pokemon know, but his ability was pixilate, and he just used a hyper beam. The fairy charged hyper beam hit Grit squarely in the back, sending him flying forward and into the water, with a loud scream.

Prince was left panting from the exertion, staring at the water. After about twenty seconds, Grit had yet to surface. "Now then, get over here and present." He told Clara. "Once my girl, always my girl." He said.

"How about no. We still have a job to do."

"Yes, we both have a job to do. You need to let me mount you, and I need to fuck you silly."

"Damn, I knew my plan was too good... Fine, on one condition."

"I don't bargain."

"Whatever. I'll submit, and maybe even participate, but then we have to go explore the rest of this place."

"Deal." He said with a dirty smirk.

Ashley continued down the north hallway, looking in every room she passed. Most were strange, like some kind of science room from her video games. The main difference was that they were in terrible disrepair. Most of them were also storing crates full of berries. The hallway wasn't very long, and quickly ended with a pair of oak double doors. She got to them, and thought about it for a second. She was all by herself. What if somebody was in there?

"Well, Hunter's right back there... Fuck it." She said, before pushing them open and stepping inside. The room was mostly empty, except for a few main things. There was a large ornate desk, with two chairs in front facing it. Behind that was a large computer, though it was smashed and likely not working. To either side were large windows that looked out into the ocean. "What the hell..." She muttered as she went further in and looked around. Movement caught her eye, and she turned her head to see a magikarp sitting beyond the windows, blubing in her direction. After it bit, it looked away and moved on.

Then, the door slammed shut. "Is that you Ashley?" A familiar voice asked.

She turned to see a white canine, an absol, standing in front of the door. "Who... Wait, Carver?"

"Who else?"

"But what are you doing here?"

"Wait, you don't realize? Wow, I thought you would have known everything before coming here. Well, I work with the Shadow. I'm the sex guy."

"WHAT?!"

"Well that's not my official title, but..."

"No, what the hell do you do here?! And why?"

"It's my job to find girls, and sometimes capture them. As to why, do you really want to know?"

"Well, yea! You guys stole my sister!"

"Oh, I'm sorry for that." He said, sounding genuinely sorry. "But we have good reason for what we do, at least in theory. I for one think Hearth is full of shit."

"What's the reason?"

"A loud of bull. I honestly don't remember. After he wouldn't shut up about it, I just kinda started tuning him out. The only reason I stay with these guys is cause it gets me laid."

"How could you ruin lives like that?"

"Well, think of it this way. Better to have a gentle and kind soul in a place like mine than some psycho rapist. If fuckin' Tyrant had my job, half the girls wouldn't make it here alive."

"And why capture females? For sex?"

"Yea, that's about it. We wipe their memories and send 'em off to a brothel or someplace, or even to some rich assholes. A perfect willing slutty slave, sounds like a dream to me." He said.

"That's absolutely disgusting!" Ashley said, shaking her head.

"Actually, they don't suffer much. Most of the time, the girls, and sometimes males, are unconscious the whole time. By the time they wake up, they're a whole new pokemon. They don't have any memories or anything."

"But my sister, Mystic, she does. She's suffered. How do explain that one?" She said, starting to really get mad.

"The vulpix right? Well, we had a bit of a rebellion here. You see, we use a pokemon named Mewtwo to erase memories and rewrite them. His mate, Mew, got loose, and teleported a pokemon who was not done with the process, your Mystic, out. And that's how we got to where we are now."

"So what now?"

"You could turn the other cheek. I have no allegiance to the rest of these assholes. I'll spill all the beans."

"After all you've done... When did you join?"

"What? What does that have to do with it?" She continued staring at him seriously. "Uh, about four months ago."

"Ok, then you're in the clear. As long as we get Hearth, I'm okay with you walking."

"About that... I've been wandering my whole life, ever since I left Mt Frostorm as a pup. I'm really gettin' kinda bored. Virgins are only fun for so long, and whores just don't cut it with intimacy. Maybe I should change something. And you were one of my favorite lays, so..." He rolled his eyes.

"You can't be serious."

"If I were to have a mate, you'd be my first choice." He said, then quickly followed it with, "And the thought of joining a rescue team has always been interesting." He had a faint blush, easily spotted as it clashed so heavily with his blue skin.

"This is so fucked up..." Ashley muttered.

"I believe you meant 'I am going to be' instead of 'this is'."

"Can it!" She yelled, going from one to ten in an instant. "I'm not some toy for you to mess with. You can't just persuade me to do whatever you want!"

"I wasn't trying to-" He said quietly, his suave persona cracking.

"So! If you're not going to fight, you will come with me, and do everything I say. Then we'll decide what to do as a group. Got it?"

"Alrig-" He flinched when she smacked his arm with her paw.

"Address me as ma'am!" She commanded, a wide smile forming, as she clearly enjoyed this.

"YES ma'am!" He side, putting his paw to his forehead in a mock salute and standing at attention.

"That's better. Now let's get a move on."

Once they were out the door and walking down the hall, he started to speak again. "I can understand why you don't trust me. I was recruited because I was quote 'a master manipulator'. But nothing I said to you last time we met, or even this time is a lie. Half truths maybe, but one thing is certain. I have never hurt an innocent female, ever."

"I kinda believe you... Sometimes you get dealt a shit hand, but... You will need to pay for your crimes, one way or another."

"That I do ma'am. That I do." They were nearing the door, and sounds of fighting could be heard on the other side.

As Ashley took another step forward, something buzzed, and then clicked, followed by some whirring. "The hell was that?" She asked.

"Damn." He spat to the side. "We're stuck for now. Hearth must have activated the security."

"Security? Like robot guards?"

"Nothing like that, but this place is ancient, and has some pretty impressive gadgets. Like motion sensitive cameras, that we just tripped. They cause the doors in this section to lock for ten minutes."

"Well how do we get out?"

"We can't bust the door down, they're reinforced and strong, despite the age. This section was abandoned when we found this place, until we found the control switch that is. According to one of the pokemon we sent in here, if you wait around and stay still, the cameras will switch off and the doors open again. Mind if I lead?"

"Fine, you know more about this than me."

"Over here." He said, leading her into one of the lab rooms right next to the exit. "We'll chill here for a while, then make a break for it. If we're fast enough, we'll make it." He said as he pushed the rusty door shut. "This place is amazing like I said." As the door shut, the lights flickered on. They were dim and covered in dust, but it was better than darkness. "That Mewtwo said this mansion and base were built long ago back when it was born. With all the stuff that's preserved, it's like time just up and forgot about it. The cameras are only in the hall, so you can do whatever."

She turned and walked around a few boxes in the middle of the room. The room had several desks and cabinets along the walls, mostly coated in dust. What was odd was the height. Most things were shorter, usually no taller than three feet, so that four legged and smaller pokemon could reach, but these were much higher up. She could barely reached the lowest one. But reach it she did, and pulled it open. She had to prop her forelegs on the edge to look inside, finding a stack of papers and a book. The book said "Experiment log 17-*" She grabbed it, causing a sheet of dust to spring into the air, and set it on the floor before flipping it open.

"Experiement 17, Lead Scientist Smith's personal log. Experiment 17, hereby coded as 17, has started with disastrous results. The DNA from the original is incredibly complex, and seems to degenerate with any manipulation. The original is too weak and unpredictable, thus this line is needed. Almost all subjects turn into a pink sludge mere moments after creation, the rest last anywhere from ten to twenty minutes. None of shown actual signs of life." The next pages were full of crazy looking algorithms and diagrams that she couldn't read. Eventually she found one with writing. "This thing is quickly becoming less and less about science and more about the boss' sick desires. I think he wants world domination, that's the only reason he could be pushing us so hard to create a working weapon. This journal is now about my story and not the damn experiment. Jason killed himself after 17-65 talked. Maybe there are some things science shouldn't touch." She turned the page again. "17-89 is fully formed, and has a heartbeat. It bears little resemblance to the original, but it is alive. It has been dormant for nearly a week now with no genetic fluctuations. We've done it. We created life in a test tube. God help us."

That was the last entry. "Wow, that's some scary shit. It's like a horror movie." Ashley said.

"What?" Carver asked.

"Somebody made something here, to be a weapon."

"Makes sense with the shit we've found. This place had some messed up stuff. Over thatta way are a bunch of prison cells."

"That's sick... One evil to another."

"It's not that simple. I wish the world could so simply be split into good and evil."

"How is what you were doing not evil?!" She shouted.

"Shh, the cameras might be noise sensitive... Alright, listen up."


	29. Chapter 26

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Zys the Deoxys

Chp 26

"Alright, role call." Mystic said. She looked at Phantom, and then Zys, and then to Ashley... But she was gone. "She'll be fine. She's with Hunter." Mystic said.

"You sure Hunter can handle those two?"

"Yea, he's strong. One way or another, we need to catch Hearth. If he gets away, then all this is for nothing!" Mystic said.

"You're not wrong..." Phantom said, looking back with worry on his face.

"Exactly. Now let's go." She said. "I'm worried about everyone else too, but we all came here with one goal. Zys, c'mon." She began forward, with the larger pokemon in tow. The shinx took a deep breath, before following last in line. They walked down the hall, the distance seeming to stretch on forever.

As they continued, they passed by pairs of doors on either side, but didn't investigate. The entire time, Zys was looking around anxiously.

"What is it?" Mystic asked when she looked back.

"%%%." He buzzed, and pointed at a door.

"This?" Mystic asked, going over and pushing it open. The doors had no handle, instead having a bar that was quite high up, making her reach up to press it in. The door opened, and revealed a blank concrete room. "There's nothing..."

"%%%%." He buzzed again, sounding dejected.

"What about the other one?" She said, and opened that one, revealing the exact same room. "Huh?"

"%%!" Zys buzzed angrily, while staring at the ceiling.

"Again..." A voice said. A bird like head emerged from the roof. "You spotted me again."

"You?!" Mystic shouted, recognizing the creature as the assassin.

"I am Reaper. One of the Generals. And you," His wing emerged from the wall and pointed at Zys. "Are a threat."

Mystic raised her hackles and prepared to attack, but she felt Zys push her forward. She turned to look, and immediately understood. 'Go.' "Phantom, c'mon. We can't let this guy slow us down." She started running, and Phantom stayed for a moment before following. Reaper completely ignored them as they went under him, instead staring down Zys.

Once the pair got a bit away from Reaper, the walls swirled and waved for a moment, before stabilizing, and revealing the exit right in front of them. Phantom looked back to see Reaper and Zys still glaring at each other, before Mystic went through the door, forcing him to follow.

They both were stunned by what they found. The room was a large rectangle, and on the far end, was a tyranitar. The state of the tyranitar was the odd part. Instead of the usual scaly skin of an average tyranitar, his was bulging out, veins looking like they were about to pop all over his body. He opened his eyes, revealing them to be completely red.

"I know you can sense me. Follow." Reaper commanded, before hiding in the ceiling again. Zys went to the door on the right, and opened it. He stepped forward, and continued on, eyes glued to the wall. He eventually came to the concrete wall, but paid it no mind and continued on. When he stepped into it, it faded away, revealing the rest of the room. The room had several rusty tables and benches all piled up in the corners, and a decrepit kitchen beyond a metal display with broken glass.

Reaper rose out of the floor on the opposite side of Zys. "And you can see through my illusions... You really are dangerous. What's your name?" Reaper said.

Zys said, and did, nothing.

"Silent type. I can relate. However, it is customary for two warriors to exchange stories before battle, so that their legends may live on. I was a contract killer before the Shadow hired me permanently. I have killed many, and few could stand up to me. In an effort to avoid you holding back, allow me to explain our last encounter. I had no idea of your real powers, so I only engaged in a half physical state. Once I saw how strong your team actually was, I decided to retreat and plan more carefully. I know you left me on the beach, but it is lucky that you didn't try to check if I was dead. I would have killed you there. Now for your story..." He said, holding out his wing.

Zys once again said nothing.

"Well? It is not often I find someone worth words. Speak!"

Nothing.

"Very well." He looked around the room. "I can hear the voices of those who died here long ago. Their deaths were horrible." He looked back at Zys with a sharp gaze. "Do try to give me a challenge!" He gave a mighty flap of his wings, doing little more than showing off. He took to the air, and in the blink of an eye, plucked a pointed feather from his plumage, used the vines on his neck as a string, and his wing as a bow, before letting it fly at Zys.

Zys' eyes went wide from their previous glare as he dashed into action. His body slimmed as he shifted to speed form and avoided the arrow as it flew past him. His psychic senses picked it up when it changed direction behind him, stopping dead in its tracks and turning around before flying at him again. On the other side, Reaper launched three more arrows, all at different angles. Zys had four ghostly arrows, all aimed at him, flying towards him. His slender body weaved between them as they flew around, darting past him. One of the lights just above him flickered on, painting him in florescent light.

One of the arrows flew past his head, and curved straight down, his psychic senses giving him a 360 degree view. Before he could figure out why, it shot into the ground and pinned his shadow, before exploding. The ghostly explosion wasn't a direct hit, but it still hurt, causing him to shift into defense form. This happened just in time as he tried to move, but found his body stuck, and the remaining three arrows hit home, exploding on his body. His well armored body could only do so much, and one arrow, that hit his shoulder, blew one of his arms off. The thick appendage dropped to the floor, wriggled for a moment and then disintegrated.

"Well, that was short. Already taking that much damage?" Reaper taunted, still hovering in the air.

Zys glared up at him, and his eyes began to glow blue. A new limb grew out from the stump.

"Nice trick. It just means you'll die slower. Which is perfect for me." Reaper said, his beak twisting into a sinister grin.

But he misjudged Zys, thinking that was his move. Suddenly, a force took hold of the bird, pulling him in two directions. Both his wings were pulled to the side and feathers began to fly off, floating in the air away from him. He grunted in pain as his bones were twisted, before he was sent flying upward, crashing into the ceiling. The sound of breaking glass echoed out and shards were caught up in Zys' psychic hold. They soon fell, along with everything else when the attack ended.

Reaper propped himself up on a wing, before getting to his feet. He stretched his shoulder's and winced. Behind him, a few drops of blood fell to the ground. He took to the air again, and readied another arrow. He took a deep breath, and then unleashed a storm of arrows, firing and reloading in a blur. At the same time, the lights began to flicker wildly, changing the direction of Zys' shadow constantly, resulting in him being struck over and over. A cloud of dust and ghostly energy blocked him from sight, though they could still sense each other's presence.

As the dust cleared, Reaper suddenly lost track. He wasn't fast enough to dodge Zys, who had teleported behind him. Zys had built up immense psychic power in a ball, and fired it at point blank into Reaper's back. The psycho boost hit home, dealing severe damage to Reaper's internals. Now it was Zys' turn to be on the offense, his body changing accordingly, as he let loose a barrage of attacks, accompanied by frequent teleports. Reaper attempted to dodge, but was only able to avoid some of the fearsome attacks, Zys' unpredictability becoming a huge problem.

Eventually, the assault ended. Zys was left exhausted, mentally drained from unleashing so much energy. And Reaper was still standing. Blood stained around his mouth after he had coughed it up, and he was wobbling, but alive he was.

"It's over." He said. He floated into the air, not flapping his wings, and something twinkled on his chest. He was wearing a jeweled necklace. Twenty large arrows formed around him in a fan shape. He flapped his wings and flew forward, crossing the short distance between them in an instant, flying just past Zys, with the arrows in tow. The arrows all hit the ground around Zys, some others hit him, but they all exploded at the same time.

Reaper turned around to inspect his work. Nothing had ever survived this attack. And from the looks of it, that remained true. Zys had lost nearly all of his limbs, and had several large chunks missing from his torso. "Hah... I win." Reaper grunted. His grin faded as he fell to his knees, wounds finally catching up to him as his adrenaline died down.

There was a sudden gust of wind, and Reaper felt a stinging pain in his chest, right where his heart was. He looked down to see a tightly bound spiral of red and blue tentacles speared through him. He gave one last cough, spitting blood all over Zys' still reforming body, before everything went black.

Tyrant roared again. The entire room was covered in scorch marks, and a few parts had even fallen to rubble. Neither Mystic nor Phantom had even scratched him, with even their best attacks. Not to mention the need to dodge. Tyrant let out yet another roar, before whipping his head down and firing another hyper beam, the most recent of many. He was slow but incredibly powerful. Neither had been hit, and if they had...

"What are we gonna do?!" Mystic shouted at Phantom, who was on the other side of the room.

"Keep dodging! He'll tire out... eventually... I hope..."

Another hyper beam fired at Mystic, causing an explosion near her that knocked her away and to the ground. She rolled away and got back up, but Tyrant did little to track her. It was like he was in a trance. Phantom's fur bristled as he shot as much electricity at Tyrant, but all it did was crackle over his bulging scales. Tyrant reared his head and roared, several stones bursting from the ground and slashing at Phantom, leaving cuts across his body.

"You bastard!" Mystic shouted, charging towards him, dodging another hyper beam in her direction, and jumped into the air. She landed on his head, slamming his jaw shut around the hyper beam, and breathed a flamethrower right into his eyes. He shut them too late, the fire burning away his sight. He reached up, grabbed her and threw her into the wall, causing her to yelp and the wall to crack. Despite his blindness, he continued his attacks, firing hyper beams in every direction.

Before Mystic could get up, a hyper beam shot right at her. "Mystic!" Phantom shouted.

She looked up to see something red taking the attack. The beam continued, only growing in intensity as the new arrival held it off. "Zys..." Mystic said in awe.

"Ma-ma." A voice said. It was odd and forced, but somehow familiar. Zys looked back at her, and she saw the intensity in his eyes. She knew that he couldn't keep this up. She had to move, now. With her back in agony, she got up and limped out of the line of fire. With her safe, Zys teleported, shifting to offense, and darting at Tyrant. His arms melded, forming fists, and he moved in to deliver a superpower attack to Tyrant's chest. The attack hit hard, cracking through his rocky skin and spurting blood. Tyrant didn't even flinch. Instead, he lowered his head, grabbed Zys' arms, and fired a massive hyper beam point blank.

As the smoke cleared, two halves of a purple orb fell to the ground. It looked just like the one in Zys' chest...

"ZYS!" Mystic screamed. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she charged forward, lost in rage. She tried to head butt Tyrant, but he reached down and picked her up, holding her by the throat and squeezing. Still he didn't utter a single word. His squeeze grew tighter, cutting off her breath, and still she glared at him. She tried to bite at him, but her teeth couldn't penetrate his flesh.

"Mystic!" Phantom shouted, trying to free her, but he could do little.

Suddenly, a blue ball flew through the air, hitting Tyrant with a massive explosion. The dust blew away, revealing Mystic lying on her side, with no sign of the tyranitar.

"What..." Phantom asked, turning to see a new pokemon. "You're... What did you just do?!"

"I am Aeon. That was an aura sphere, the signature move of the lucario species."

"But you blew him to bits! And Mystic is fine!" Phantom shouted.

"It functions on aura. It harms what I desire, and spares all else."

"So, why are you here? I don't mean to be disrespectful, but you didn't seem to eager..."

"Your questions are fine. Arceus himself told me of the importance of this, so I came to fulfill his wish. Now, we do not have time for more, we must continue. Are you injured?"

"I'm okay, but her..." He said, looking to Mystic, who was crying on the floor, curled into a ball.

Aeon walked over to her and placed a paw on her back, before running it down. "You are healed. Get up." The lucario stepped past her and walked to the exit. "There are more pokemon ahead, and something else... The fight is far from over."

"Are you okay?" Phantom asked gently as he approached her.

"His first word. Mama. And his last." She let out another wail and began to cry more. Phantom went over and picked up to two shards of orb and put them into the pack.

"We'll give him a proper funeral when we leave, but... we have to keep going."

She took another shuddering breath, snorted, and wiped her tears away. "I know..." She looked up at him, her eyes full of grief and sunken in. "Let's go."


	30. Chapter 27

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Aeon the Lucario

Hearth the Typhlosion

Chp 27

Phantom and Mystic hurried down the hall to catch up to Aeon. He was walking quite fast, not even bothering to wait for them. Eventually, they caught up, just in time for all three to arrive at another door. For the short time they had been walking, they hadn't come across any other doors.

"This is it." Aeon said.

"So Hearth is in there?" Mystic asked.

"No. Something dangerous is." Without another word, he smashed open the door with a powerful lighting fast punch. The doors flew forward and fell to the floor with a loud clanging. The lucario walked in first, quickly followed by the others.

The room was easily the largest yet. It was a large oval shape, with a dome carved out in the ceiling. The floor was dirt, and the walls were stone. It looked much more natural than any other room they had come across. On the far end, another pokemon was standing.

The pokemon was tall, with a lavender body and long purple tail. "Here we are." He said.

Aeon glared at him and took a defensive stance. "You are well guarded. I can only sense your presence. Who, or what, are you?"

"I am Mewtwo. I must stop you." He said, putting his hand to his head. "I cannot let you continue on this path. You do not know what you are doing!"

"We have to stop Hearth!" Mystic shouted. "He's a monster! He's torn pokemon from their families, and destroyed their lives!"

"But you know nothing of me. Wait... I remember you. You were the one that got away."

"What? You recognize me?! Tell me what happened!" She demanded.

"Yes... You are that vulpix. A while ago, Mew escaped, and teleported a pokemon I had been in the process of programming away. Since then, she has been under ever increasing security."

"Programming?" Phantom asked quietly.

"Yes." Mewtwo said loudly, somehow hearing him from across the room. "It is my job to erase the minds of pokemon and rewrite them to be willing slaves. With you," He pointed to Mystic. "I only did some of it before your escape. You have likely experienced great confusion. I put in the sexual parts, and erased your memories, but I did not have time to give you new memories. I am sorry for my failure."

"Don't fucking apologize! I don't wanna hear your bullshit!" Mystic shouted, charging forward and spitting a few fireballs at him. The fireballs stopped in midair just before reaching him, and Mystic lost momentum as she floated up, her legs still trying to move forward. "Let me go dammit!"

"Allow me to explain. You can still hate me, but at least know the whole story. I was... born, around four thousand years ago. I was created by a now extinct race, called humans. Despite them not being remembered, pokemon still use many of their techniques, such as architecture."

"Humans? How do we not remember any of them? If it's only been that long, how are there no records?" Phantom asked.

"I will get to that. They created me to be a weapon, a controllable force of nature born from Mew. When I became aware, I destroyed this place, killing all the researchers who were corrupted. The survivors came to me, and helped Mew and I to settle here, in seclusion. They then continued into more ethical research. The now lead scientist desired one thing. For pokemon to be equal to humans. At that time, pokemon were considered as little more than smart animals. Most humans even kept them as pets. They created a device that would spread a serum through the air, changing the world forever. Before their experiment was finished, they passed away. You may have seen the pictures of them in the mansion. As their last wish, they had me activate the device. It worked perfectly. The way you can pick up things, pokemon before could not hold things with their paws. Your brains are far more powerful than your ancestors. It had one unforeseen drawback however. It killed every last human. They didn't even have time to realize what was happening. Pokemon then became the dominant species. Over time, they were simply forgotten."

"And how does all that excuse the things you've done?!" Mystic screamed, trying to breath more fire, but it again was stopped and floated like her.

"Over four thousand years, the only contact I have had is Mew. She is everything to me, and they hold her captive even now. If I disobey, they will kill her. I cannot let that happen, so I will fight."

"Why not stop them? Surely you could have done _something_..." Phantom said.

"No. I will take no risks. Her life is the most precious thing in this world. If I must kill all of you to guarantee her safety, I will!" Mewtwo let out a powerful shockwave of psychic power, sending Mystic, and all her fire, flying back towards Phantom and Aeon.

Aeon caught Mystic and nimbly dodged the fireballs, before setting her down. Mewtwo held up his three fingered paw, which began to glow. Several large boulders burst from the ground, before flying at them. Aeon stepped out in front, and smashed them to dust as they flew. "Phantom, Mystic, you both go on ahead. You will only get yourselves killed fighting him."

"But-" Mystic started, but Phantom touched her.

"You know he's right."

"I am. This is the strongest pokemon here. Besides me." Aeon said with a smirk.

"Hearth is why we're here." Phantom said, leading the way as he dashed to the edge of the room before turning towards the exit. Mystic followed shortly after.

"You will not ignore me!" Mewtwo yelled, moving his paws towards them. The wave of rocks followed, but they kept going. Aeon ran forward and flung both fists at Mewtwo, forcing him to catch them and end the psychic onslaught.

"It's just me and you." Aeon said menacingly. "I assure you, I'm plenty strong. Perhaps Arceus has finally blessed me with a challenge." He clenched his fists harder, but Mewtwo did not flinch.

"I was built, bred if you will, to be the strongest creature, ever. You do not have any chance." Mewtwo explained flatly.

"I have spent my entire life training under Lord Arceus himself. Can your genetics beat the power gifted to me by the creator?" Aeon said, a crazed look in his eye.

"You think your god will save you? How idiotic."

"Heresy!" Aeon roared, letting lose a burst of focused energy. Mewtwo countered back with a burst of his own. By now, Mystic and Phantom were out of the room. Aeon leapt back and clasped his paws together, cracking his knuckles. "Lord Arceus, please allow me to have a worthy fight. Your will be done."

"Don't waste your time. The humans taught me about 'god'. Merely a theory."

"I would expect such from an abomination. But I did not come here for religion. I was sent to end this situation." He formed two aura spheres, one in each hand, and flung them in succession at Mewtwo.

Mewtwo easily knocked them aside, but behind the large blue orbs found Aeon charging. The lucario slammed his fist into the ground, displacing a large slab of stone, with Mewtwo on the end of it. With Mewtwo on higher ground, he lunged with a fearsome uppercut. Mewtwo was able to cross his arms and absorb most of the impact, but it still knocked him into the air. He caught himself, floating in midair, just short of the ceiling. Aeon was not fair behind, leaping off the ground with his powerful hind legs, spinning in the air, and kicking with a flame wreathed leg. The blaze kick landed hard in Mewtwo's side, but instead of flinching away, he wrapped his arm around the leg, holding Aeon in place. With his other hand, he formed a massive ball of aura and slammed it into Aeon, sending him crashing down with it.

The ball exploded, leaving a sizable crater, with Aeon lying in the middle. "Aura... How can you use aura?!"

"Lucario are not the only species gifted in life energy."

"You really are a monster."

"I am not a monster!" Mewtwo said, losing his temper for a moment. "I may be unique, but what legendary is not?"

"Again, you mock Lord Arceus. The legendaries are His emissaries, examples of His glory. You are no such thing. But you are strong. I will honor you by showing you my full strength." Aeon held his right paw out to the side. Aura began to form there, before wrapping up and around his arm, before covering the rest of his body in a thin blue cloak. He moved in a blur, leaving a trail of dust in his wake and skid marks in the dirt, before appearing next to Mewtwo, delivering a powerful shoulder blow.

Mewtwo was caught by surprise, and knocked to the side, but he used his tail to stop his skid and right himself. "Using aura to empower your raw strength? Impressive, but risky. Too much will cause damage." Mewtwo held out both his paws, flexing his fingers. His eyes began to glow and the entire room began to shake. The ground cracked as waves of immense psychic power radiated out.

"STOP IT!" A high pitch voice screamed.

"Mew?" Mewtwo asked. His attack stopped, and he turned to find Mew floating there, her face red as she panted loudly. "Mew!" He ran towards her, grabbing her small frame and holding her tight. "Is it really you?" His voice was cracking with emotion.

"Yep! A white vulpix and an absol let me out."

"Absol... Carver? It doesn't matter. They will never take you away again."

"So what, are we done?" Aeon asked, his aura dying down.

"Yes. I have no more reason to fight you. In fact-"

"NO!" Mew screamed. "There's been enough violence today."

"I know, but Hearth must pay." Mewtwo said, letting go off her as she floated back and puffed her cheeks. "You can't always persuade me like that. Some things must be done, no matter how nasty. You can wait here if you wish."

"Nope." She stuck out her tongue. "You're stuck with me now."

"If what Aeon said is right, Hearth should be down this way." Phantom said. "Are you okay?"

"What Mewtwo did... I know Hearth is the reason, but I'm still pissed off. But we can sort that out later." She shook her head.

The hall they were in was long, but empty. There were doors, but they were barred off with numerous methods, from wood, to tape, to steel beams and welding. At the end of the hall were a pair of unsealed doors. When they arrived, they pushed them open to find a large room with a high ceiling. The room was filled with machinery, seemingly the generator room for the complex, though none of them were running. Standing in the middle of the room, up on one of the catwalks, was a typhlosion.

Hearth started to slowly clap. "I never expected our little run away situation would end like this." He said mournfully. "And why have you ruined this whole thing?"

"Because you're monsters!" Mystic yelled. "You ruined my life!"

"No, your life was ruined by a mistake. Had we finished with you, your new life would have been great. For that, I am sorry."

"Fuck you." Mystic retorted.

"She's right!" Phantom said loudly. "What could possibly justify your actions?!"

"Ahh, the runt speaks. Fine. I suppose you deserve it. You see, I was raised by real scum, Boss the aggron, leader of the Blade, and my father. He didn't give a damn about life, or anything at all really. All he cared about was money. Even his own son was secondary. All I was to him was a tool to continue his reign. So when Hunter and his gang killed him, I was thankful. But as life went on, and I saw the way the world really was... Society will always desire the illegal, it is merely a fact of life. So I had an idea. What if I could find a way to solve that desire, as humanely as possible, so no one else was hurt as bad? Sure, my methods still hurt, but nothing compared to what happened previously! I solved a problem in a realistic way, and you seek to bring all that to ruin, to bring chaos to innocent lives again."

"You don't think you brought chaos to her life?" Phantom asked, getting angry. "You should have seen her family. The way she has been trying to get her memories back!"

"Phantom..." Mystic said quietly.

"Would you have rather been chained up in someone's basement? Raped constantly and forced to bear some pervert's children?"

"I'd rather have none of it." Mystic said.

"An idealistic view. Sacrifices must be made. I am only bringing about the lesser evil. But I guess it doesn't matter anymore. If you made it here, I assume your partners are mopping up the rest of the Shadow. I surrender. Take me in, and I'll leave the world to you. You've proved that I cannot try to make a difference."

"No." Mystic said.

"Excuse me?"

"You're not going to prison. You're going to die here." She said, baring her fangs.

"Mystic, are you sure?" Phantom asked.

"This piece of shit is insane. He doesn't deserve to keep living."

"Hah! I knew you weren't a real rescue team." Hearth said. "Personal interest before justice. In that case, allow me to play my trump card early." He turned back and took out a golden crystalline orb. He rubbed it and held it into the air. "Giratina! Come for your orb!"


	31. Chapter 28

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Aeon the Lucario

Hearth the Typhlosion

Chp 28

A hollow sounded roar echoed through the metal chamber, bouncing around the room. It was loud enough to force all three pokemon in the room to cover their ears. A red spike appeared in thin air, and then it pulled down, leaving a trail behind it. The trail split open, opening a window into another world. One with a tumultuous purple sky and warped landscapes. A large face, grey and black skinned with a golden draconic trim appeared, before coming through. The massive serpentine pokemon entered the room, growing legs and crashing to the ground, the concrete floor cracking under the falling weight.

"Yes. Giratina the renegade. The pokemon banished by Arceus. Obey me and I will return your orb. Kill them!" Hearth ordered, his flame vents lighting for a moment.

Giratina looked down at him. The massive dragon barely fit in the room. One of its wings violently swung down, slashing at Hearth. It missed, but Hearth was sent tumbling over the edge of the catwalk in his attempt to dodge, dropping the orb in the process. The orb just sat there in midair for a moment, before drifting over to Giratina. The orb melded into its body, and its body then morphed, returning to its serpentine form. It roared again, before flying through a wall, in the direction Mystic and Phantom had come from.

Phantom was awestruck. He remembered the last encounter they had with that beast, but he had never imagined just how scary it really was.

Mystic could care less. She walked over to Hearth, who was still lying on the ground. "What was that?!" She asked, slapping his face hard.

He coughed a few times. "Well shit. That went wrong." He sat up, causing her to jump back and bare her fangs. "I'm done. For real this time. My plan failed. It's over." He fell back again, laying his arms to the side. "I was going to get all of you together and unleash Giratina. Risky, but it would have resolved everything. All my enemies would be dead, and I could go start fresh. But that's gone. Out the window." He held up a paw and waved it through the air. "I have no idea what it's doing, but I cannot control it... I give up." He let out a sigh accompanied by smoke. "Kill me if you want. I've had a good life. I think my legs are broken anyways." He had tumbled over ten feet down.

"How do I know this isn't a trick?" Mystic growled.

"I don't care what you think. You have ruined everything. Even if my plan had succeeded, how much suffering would there be in my absence." He put a paw over his eyes. "If you and your group keep on living, I cannot. This is my life... Fuck it. I give the fate of the world to you. I hope you realize just what that entails."

Mystic took a step forward, but Phantom got in between her and Hearth. "Mystic... I know what you're thinking, but you can't kill him. You can't stoop to that level!"

She stepped around him and pounced forward, sinking her teeth right into Hearth's neck. He shook briefly, but remained mostly still. He really had given up. She pulled back, tearing flesh and causing blood to streak through the air. She spit the blood that had gotten into her mouth onto the ground. Hearth just lie there, rapidly losing blood.

"Mystic..."

"I appreciate what you meant. But after all he did, no matter the reason, to me and every other pokemon he's hurt... I had to. I don't regret it at all." She still had some blood on her fur. Phantom stepped closer and wiped it off.

"I understand. I don't really blame you. You feel okay?" He asked gently.

"My heart's pounding, but I feel pretty good."

"We should probably go back now. I hope everybody's okay."

"Nope." Mew stuck out her tongue. "You're stuck with me now."

"I'm going ahead." Aeon said, turning and walked in the direction of the exit.

"Hold on." Mewtwo said. "I'm going after Hearth too."

"And me!" Mew said, seemingly angry for having been ignored for more than a second.

"Yes, and-" A loud roar echoed through the arena, seemingly coming from nowhere.

"Something's coming!" Aeon shouted.

Giratina flew through the wall and into the arena, letting out another ghostly roar. As it flew, it's six spiked wings tore through the air, opening a portal in their wake. The portals began to suck, dragging Aeon, Mewtwo and Mew up and into them, before Giratina vanished again.

"Where are we?" Mewtwo asked.

"Stories tell of a world, ruled by a pokemon banished by Lord Arceus. A world of chaos. We are in Hell." Aeon said. He walked to edge of the platform they were on, looking over the side.

Giratina came through the portal above them, letting out a rumbling growl and looking down at them.

"It sensed our power. It wants a fight." Mewtwo said.

Aeon cracked his knuckles. "A chance to fight the renegade?" His muzzle twisted into a smile.

"Yeah, me too!" Mew cheered, spinning around in the air.

"Do either of you understand what this means? This is a legendary pokemon. It has existed for countless centuries."

"I'm a legendary too, and that means you're one!" Mew said cheerily, floating over and putting her cheek to Mewtwo's.

"Yes... anyways, we have to be-"

"Hah!" Aeon yelled as he flung an aura sphere at Giratina. It merely faded as it passed, its ghost type powers allowing it to. It's head whipped around, letting out another roar, before it mouth guard split and it fired an aura sphere of its own. Aeon swatted it aside, causing the ball to explode on the ground. Giratina followed it up with a wave of purple dragonbreath. The wave of dragon fire forced all three pokemon to dodge, Mewtwo and Mew taking to the air, able to easily fly, and Aeon to dive out of the way. He looked up angrily at the other pokemon, flying freely in the air.

Mewtwo flew up, blasting a psywave with one hand, and a psychic attack with the other. Both of the waves of energy hit, but Giratina felt little from it, only turning its attention to him. Mew fired a small ice beam from her tiny mouth. Giratina saw it coming and snaked through the air to dodge, before fading out of sight.

Aeon kicked off of the ground, his powerful legs getting him high enough to escape the small area of gravity of the landmass he was on, and enter free floating space. He let out a focused bust of aura to stop his momentum, allowing him to simulate flight.

Giratina appeared out of thin air, flying straight down at Mew. She sensed its approach, and tried to dodge, but Giratina tracked her. Before the pointed horn across its mouth could hit her, Aeon came flying at it, delivering a powerful punch to its gut. With its eyes set on Mew, it had been distracted, and did not have time to immaterialize. The punch caused Giratina to roar, and fly away. It turned and looked back at them with a menacing gaze, reassessing its plan.

"Teach you to underestimate me." Aeon said.

"Where did they go?" Phantom asked once they got back to the arena. "You don't think Giratina..."

"No, that's crazy. They probably just went back to the main room." She said, crossing the torn arena. "Looks like something went down here. I bet Aeon beat the shit outta Mewtwo. Probably dragged him kicking and screaming back to Hunter!" She let out a triumphant laugh.

Giratina roared again, but kept its distance.

"Why can't it speak?" Mew asked.

"It likely never learned. I'm sure you don't remember, but pokemon used to not speak English, as the humans called it. It wasn't until recently that pokemon began to speak as humans used to. Well, recently in your time." Mewtwo explained.

"Yeah, great story, now focus on the fight!" Aeon barked at them both. When he turned his head back, Giratina was gone. "Head's up." He warned. "Listen up, I can't stand fighting alongside others. All you'll do is get in the way, so stand back." His aura flared up again, forming a cloak around him like before. He closed his eyes.

"What're ya doin'?" Mew asked. Aeon opened his eyes a bit to see Mew floating in front of him. He closed his eyes again. Mew raised a small paw and poked his cheek. "Heelllooooo!" She called. His muzzle twitched. "C'mon, tell me. Tell me!" She begged.

The lucario continued to ignore her. He turned and delivered a powerful upper cut on seemingly thin air. A small part of Giratina's face had started to reveal itself and his fist connected with its chin. His free flowing aura burst out, creating a powerful punch, with both his physical and mental strength. The resulting energy was too much to be simply be transferred harmfully into Giratina, instead causing it to explode in a similar way to an aura sphere, but much more focused. Giratina roared in pain, flying up and away.

"Awesome!" Mew cheered. She clenched her body up, drawing all her limbs close, before a thin blue glow gathered around her. "Hiyah!" She yelled, flinging the gathered aura out in a massive, oddly shaped ball. Aeon grunted angrily at the sight of yet another pokemon using aura. Giratina snaked through the air trying to avoid the orb, but Mew swung her arms, readjusting the orb psychically. Usually an aura attack would track the target through their aura, but this was too long distance for that to work. And because aura attacks targeting the life force of an opposing pokemon, they were able to hit through Giratina's ghost type, unless he fully immaterialized. And it did just that, vanishing again before the attack could connect.

This time, the shadow force attack came much sooner, and faster. Giratina formed right behind Mew, flying past and grazing her with its shadowy tackle. As it did, its tendril like wings lashed out, using their spiked tips to claw at her, and the others, leaving them all with scratches. And Giratina disappeared immediately afterwards. This attack pattern continued a few more times.

"Mew!" Mewtwo called out. He raised his hands and they began to glow with psychic power.

"Got it." She said back, flying under and up in between his arms, putting her back to his chest and her arms out in a similar way. Giratina appeared again, and they both turned to face it. A massive wave of their combined psychic power blasted out, hitting it with incredible power. Giratina was sent reeling back, as Aeon propelled himself forward for another aura punch. The punch made it roar in pain, and fly away. It's wings splayed wide, and a portal opened behind it, before it slipped through.

"That's it! Go!" Aeon shouted, letting out a burst of aura to gain speed. Mew and Mewtwo flew alongside him. Before they could even make it halfway, the portal closed. "No!" He grunted.

"All we can do is wait for Giratina to come back. Most likely with its wounds healed."

They all three turned back and went to the closest island, which was the one they started on. They touched down, where Aeon sat down, beginning to pant heavily. Mew remained floating, playfully spiraling around the others.

"This sucks." Aeon said. "Hopefully Arceus will save us."

"Hunter... Are you okay?" Phantom asked. They had made it back to the entry way. Clara and Prince, and Ashley and an absol, were there as well. The room had a large blood stain, next to a dismembered charizard, and a dead mienshao. It was Flare and Marie.

"No." Hunter said. "I am not okay. What about you? I notice you are missing a few."

"Well, that lucario vanished. And Zys..." Mystic said, biting her lip.

"I understand."

"So Ashley, who's that?" Mystic asked her sister.

"Oh... so yea, about him..." The white vulpix said nervously.

"Any guess when it'll come back?" Aeon asked. Mewtwo was across from him, sitting on a rock, while Mew was still a ball of energy.

"Why the long faces?" She asked.

"We have no way of leaving. At least not without Giratina. We're trapped." Aeon explained.

"I don't mind!" She said cheerily, seemingly oblivious. She floated over and sat on Mewtwo's head. "At least we're back together!"

They sat there nearly silent for another twenty minutes. The only sound was Mew flying around and giggling as she teased Mewtwo and Aeon. Even the wind was absent, save for that created by Mew moving. "Okay, I'm bored now. Ready to leave?" She asked.

"I told you, we're trapped!" Aeon said angrily. His eyes went wide when he looked up at her to see her swishing her tail behind her, creating a small portal that was growing steadily.

"How..." He muttered. He stood. "Doesn't matter. Let's get out of here."

"Amazing as usual." Mewtwo said, rubbing her head. "I just wish you would have done that sooner."

"But then we wouldn't have spent as much time together." She said with a pout.

"I'm not leaving you. We can spend time together as much as you want at home."

"Okay, everybody hold on!" She said. She reached out and took both Aeon and Mewtwo's paws, before the portal engulfed them.

The portal took them out of the distortion world, but left them hanging in the open ocean. Gravity immediately kicked in at its usual force, pulling them down towards the water. In a flash, they appeared in front of the house. "That was close." Mewtwo said.

"Home sweet home!" Mew cheered, grabbed on side of the double doors and swinging it open.

"Aeon, would you please go get our guests? We have to reward our saviors."

"Fine." Aeon grunted.

"Don't hurt him!" Ashley said, standing in front of the larger absol that was Carver.

"Why not?! He's a monster, just like the rest of them!" Mystic yelled.

"I-" Carver tried to say.

"I don't want to hear a word from you." Hunter said menacingly.

"He's not. We talked for a long time. He's not like the rest of them. I know what they did, but he only joined recently, and he didn't want to hurt anyone!"

"And just what was his job?" Mystic asked.

"He was responsible for finding girls..."

"That bastard!" She roared. She spat a fireball at Carver, but Ashley neutralized it with an ice beam.

"Seriously, stop it!" Ashley barked. "He's coming with us!"

"Not if I kill him first!"

"He's joining our team as penance!" Ashley shouted back.

Everyone's mouth dropped.

"How dare you brainwash my sister!" Mystic growled.

"I did not brainwash her." Carver said. "Please. I don't regret making those girls feel good, and keeping them safe." He sidestepped another fireball from Mystic. "But I do regret what happened to them after that. I understand that it's my fault. I should have seen it sooner. Please, let me make amends."

"Liar!" Mystic shouted.

"Erhmm!" Aeon cleared his throat. "The homeowners would like to invite you upstairs." Hunter, Clara, and Prince all began to go up the stairs.

"C'mon. We can settle this later." Phantom said.

"No, we'll settle this right now!" She said, but everyone was already leaving. "Fine." As they walked up, Phantom was the one in front of her. If he wasn't, she would have burned Carver, who was just ahead of him.

Once they were all back in the mansion, they found Mewtwo sitting at the large table. "Greetings. I'm so sorry for everything you've all gone through. I know it isn't proper compensation, but allow us to have you for dinner. This used to be the dining room, after all. Please, sit." He said, waving his hand, and pulling all the chair out. The chairs were odd looking, but once the quadrupeds hopped on, they were able to reach the table.

"Now, allow me to explain myself. Everything in fact."

"And the reason I did it all," Mewtwo said as the door opened and Mew came in. "Is her."

"Wow, that's so romantic." Ashley said.

"Don't even think about comparing the two." Mystic said, still giving Carver angry looks.

"For over four thousand years, all I've had is her. I don't know how Hearth figured it out, but she is the most important thing in this world to me."

"You too!" Mew said, getting close to Mewtwo. As usual, she was energetic and overly loud. "I just came to tell everybody that dinner will be ready soon." She left again, going back to what was probably the kitchen.

"So Hunter... You're really quiet."

"I... Sorry Phantom, not right now." Hunter said quietly.

"So Mewtwo, can you fix my memories?" Mystic asked.

"Yes." He said, but there was something else. "However, you will lose all of your current ones. It will set you back to when you lost them." Mewtwo explained.

"Mystic..." Phantom said, turning to her. For the first time in a while, she wasn't angry. She looked sad.

"That's alright." She said quietly, almost in a whisper. "I'd rather keep my current life."

"I understand. If there's anything else I can do, just ask."

"Actually, yes." She said. "See that absol?" She pointed.

"Carver, one of the generals. Yes?"

"Tell me, is he lying?"

"I'm a dark type. He can't read my..." Carver stopped talking when he felt his brain being probed.

"He is truthful, mostly. He does regret his actions, but his motives are a bit different, more base."

"Base?" She asked.

"Lustful, directed at your alolan vulpix friend."

"I knew it!" She shouted, climbing onto the table and angrily approaching Carver.

Ashley got onto the table as well and intercepted her. "You heard him, he's not evil!"

"I'm trying to protect you! All he wants is a fuck toy!"

"You know what, we've fucked already, and I liked it. So I'm thinkin' we'll do it again! What about Phantom over there?! You love him don't you?"

"Please leave me out of this." He squeaked.

"See, that proves it! He's been manipulating you ever since!" Mystic said, approaching even closer, almost pressing her face against Ashley's.

"You wanna act like this, then fine! We'll leave and go off on our own!"

"Enough!" Carver said, stepping between them. Mystic blew a little ember at him, but he ignored it. "If it's really that much of a problem, I'll leave. I can't stand to see family fight."

"Carver, you don't have to."

"How about this? You take me on as a team member, and I'll do everything you say. The condition is that you can send me to jail anytime." He offered. He lowered his head, kneeling before Mystic.

She leaned in and whispered, "You try anything, and you won't go to jail. You'll die."

"I understand." He said calmly.

"Dinner!" Mew said loudly as the door opened as she floated in, followed by a wave of floating dishes. On by one they sat on the table. "No sitting on the table." She commanded, authoritatively. Everyone sat back down, and soon began to eat.


	32. Chapter 29

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Carver the Absol

Chp 29

"Our badges won't work. We're too far away, so we'll have take the boat back." Hunter explained. This was the most the scizor had said since dinner started. Now it was almost over, only a couple of desserts still on plates.

"You could stay the night. I assume you are all exhausted."

"No." Hunter said.

"Oh yeah, that pelipper is still waiting for us." Phantom said. Mystic was still glaring daggers at Carver, but she didn't have anything to say at the moment. Dinner had been mostly quiet, except for Mew.

"I see. You are welcome any time." Mewtwo said.

"Yeah, come visit!" Mew said excitedly.

"You know, this might be a nice place to spend our honeymoon." Clara said to Prince. "How's that sound?" She asked Mew.

"Yay, couples night!" Mew cheered, flying over to the leafeon and taking a cheek in each paw and squeezing.

"I can always teleport the both of you home." Mewtwo told them.

"What about us?" Phantom asked Mystic.

"I don't really care. If you wanna stay, I'm game." She said.

"I'm afraid we can't." Hunter spoke up. "We have business to take care of."

"Why? Didn't we take care of everything?" Mystic asked.

"Not quite. There's one last thing."

"Ah, before you leave, you should know something. Three of the five members of the Shadow are dead. Tyrant, Reaper, and Hearth are gone. Carver is right there, and Grit escaped." Mewtwo explained.

"Grit? Which one was that?" Clara asked.

"The flygon."

"But, I, I mean we, killed him. Shot him right into the water and watched the bubbles stop."

"No. He is alive. Do not fret however. He is no threat on his own. For the two living, they were only dangerous under the guidance of the group. Tyrant and Reaper were the true dangers, but they were reined in by Hearth."

"Before we go, Mewtwo, can you tell me about the other two, the charizard and the mienshao?" Hunter asked. "Mostly why they were here."

"Yes, Flare and Marie. They hardly ever showed up, only coming in dire circumstances or for important business."

"Do you know their motives?"

"To a degree. They were old friends with Hearth. Flare was interested in rare items, and would often use Tyrant to buy or sell them. Marie was focused on keeping things a secret, using her connections with the Rescue Foundation to avoid suspicion."

"I see. Thank you for telling me. We need to leave." Hunter said. "We should get home before it gets too late." He got up and walked out of the room suddenly.

"What's up with him?" Ashley asked.

"C'mon, we should catch up before he leaves without us." Mystic said, and the four of them got up and departed the building.

A while later, they were back in Journey town. Once docked, Hunter took them all back to the base, but they went to Marie's office, as his still had a hole in it.

"So what is it that's been buggin' you?" Ashley asked.

"Everything you could say. I'm tired so I'll make this quick." He took the badge off of his claw and set it on the desk. "I'm stepping down. As your reward, I am placing your team in charge of this base. There are others in line to be the head of the Rescue Foundation, so I cannot do more." He walked right past them and to the door.

"Hunter... Why?" Phantom asked.

"I am no longer worthy. Ask Harrison if you need help. He's knowledgeable in the running of this place." He opened the door, stepped through, and shut it. "I'm sorry." He said from beyond it. The sound of his footsteps faded away soon after.

"So... now what?" Ashley asked.

"First, we go home and sleep. We can figure this whole thing out tomorrow." Mystic said.

"What do you think spooked him like that?" Ashley asked.

"He killed his best friends." Phantom explained.

"Oh... shit..." Ashley muttered.

They sat in silence for a bit, until Mystic got up and began to walk to the door. The others followed.

"And what do you think _you're_ doing here?" Mystic asked once they got back. Carver was still with them.

"Well, I'm following my team. This _is_ our base, isn't it?" He responded.

"What makes you think you're welcome here?" She asked back.

"Not tonight, please." Phantom asked, trying to stop the brewing fight.

"Fine, he can stay, on one condition." She said with a devious smirk. A short while later, they had erected an impromptu wall of spare pillows and mats in the middle of the bed. On one side was Phantom and Mystic, and on the other was Ashley and Carver.

"What is her problem?" Ashley whispered to the absol while spooning with him.

"I don't blame her. I was your enemy until a few hours ago." He said as he idly stroked her side with a paw.

"We can hear you. And don't even think about doing anything." Mystic warned. "Now go to sleep."

Mystic awoke to the sound of running water. She looked up to see Carver filling the bath for himself. His back was to her. Phantom was still asleep, and she took a quick peek over the pillow wall to see Ashley was sleeping too.

"Care to join me?" He asked.

Her head shot back around and she bolted up, baring her teeth.

"It's just a bath." He muttered. "I used to be involved with a hot spring, so I know how to make it perfect." He stuck a paw in the water, held it for a moment, and adjusted the water accordingly. He turned and went over to the berry storage, and rummaged around a bit, eventually coming back with a couple of berries. He set them down next to the bath, and slashed his claws over them, splitting them down the middle. He then moved them around, placing a half on each side of the bath, and squeezing a little juice out of them. He then went back over to the berries and took a few more, different ones. This time he tossed them into the bath.

"What are you doing?" Mystic asked, approaching and speaking quietly.

"Hop in and see." He offered as he slowly entered the hot water. He let out a relaxed sigh as he immersed all but his head.

Mystic's nose twitched as she smelled something sweet. She was immediately on edge. Was he using attract?

"The pecha berries make it smell nice, and the oran berries make for a soothing, muscle relaxing bath." He explained.

Mystic got a little closer, her paws resting on the edge of the tub. It was only a water sealed depression in the floor, instead of a standing tub, but it was better that way, as it was easier to enter and leave. She tested the water before slowly entering, keeping an eye on Carver the whole time.

"If there's anything I can do, go ahead and ask."

"Well, I am curious about what Hearth said. He said some bull about how it was for the greater good."

"Yep, that sounds like him. He was at least idealistic. His idea was to provide a niche market as humanely as possible. It was a terrible idea. We barely treated the girls better than animals. We ran our own little slaughter house. When they tried to recruit me, I saw the conditions, so it became my goal to make it better. There was no way I could have stopped them. When Grit showed up on Mt Frostorm, I knew what I had to do. I was with them for about five months."

"So you were there when I was kidnapped. From Mt Frostorm."

"Well I was with them, but my job was shared with Grit. It must've been him who took you. It was a regular day, when a new bunch of kidnapped girls were brought in. Mew happened to escape, and managed to teleport someone away before being captured. That was you."

"And how did you meet my sister?"

"Well, my job was twofold. I scouted out new girls, and if I thought they would be a good fit, I'd drug them and deliver them to a local storehouse. I tried my best to avoid causing strife, but it was unavoidable. Then I also went to the many strip clubs our girls worked at, all owned in some way, shape or form by the group. I had to check things out, gather profits from the local storehouses, or the clubs that were owned in my name, and make sure none of the girls were stepping out of line. It made my job bearable seeing them. They seemed so happy, so blissfully unaware of what had happened..." A look of sadness crossed his face. "I try not to regret my life, but..." He dipped his head into the water, soaking his thick fur. "Anyways, I meet Ashley when she was in one of the clubs, Mt Frostorm again, go figure. We went out on an adventure together, and one thing led to another."

"A whole lot more happened than that, but you got the gist of it." Ashley said. She came over and stuck a paw in the water before pulling it away quickly. "Shit that's hot." She slowly adjusted to it before settling in next to Carver. "Ohh, tingly." She commented.

"Yeah, I'd rather not hear about how you banged my sister."

"Too bad. He's got a huge-"

"So, what are we doing today?" Phantom asked, interrupting her. He came over, but did not get in the tub. It was a big one, but there was barely any room left.

"Well, I guess we need to go back to the main base. I hope Hunter is still there." Mystic said.

"I don't know anything about him, but when a man makes a decision like that, he never goes back on it." Carver said.

A short while later, and they were dried off, clean and ready for the day. The group ventured out and to the main base, where all was business as usual, pokemon bustling to and fro. They went to the main office, and went inside. It was empty, and Hunter's badge still sat on the table.

"So, what should we do? I for one don't know the first thing about running this place." Ashley said.

"Hunter did say to talk to Harrison. Isn't that the farfetch'd who runs the dorms?" Phantom offered.

They left the office and went to the dorms, where just inside, behind the front desk, was Harrison.

"Ah, I recognize you. Well some of you. Nevertheless, you are that team that's been helping Hunter. Have you seen him?" He asked.

"Well... that's the thing..." Phantom muttered.

"Hunter left. And he put us in charge." Mystic said.

"You must be joking." The bird looked at them longer. "You're serious... my, oh my, what a fine mess."

"He said you'd help us."

"Well, it is true that I used to run this place before Hunter's team took over. You are a bit young for such a task, no offense. The best advice I can give you is to surround yourself with others who are skilled. No one can do everything alone."

"So what do we have to do?" Mystic asked.

"Well, you have to do a lot of paperwork, handle mission requests and rewards, keep the merchants happy, keep a log of all the teams, send out reports to the central Foundation base..."

"So, you said you used to do that?"

"Why yes. After the war with the Blade, Hunter and his team were assigned to this base, and put in charge. They saw fit to keep me on staff thankfully."

"So can you do all that?"

"Yes, I can. Would you like me to?"

"Sure. We're still a rescue team. We don't have time to stop and do all that." She told him.

"Excellent. I'll take care of everything. Now to start gathering staff... And please, do keep in contact. You are still in charge."

"I guess that makes things easier... But it kinda seems like we're slacking off..." Phantom said.

"Not everyone is meant to manage. Some base leaders are better fit to working in the field. Just do whatever you think you should."

"So, what now?" Ashley asked. "We gonna do a job?"

"Well, actually..." Phantom started.

"We need to bury Zys." Mystic finished his sentence, quietly.

"Oh... I was wondering where he went."

Phantom set the box down and opened it. "Huh?" The orb inside was gone. "His body, it's gone..."

"What?!" Mystic asked, nudging him aside to look. True to his words, the gem that was in Zys' chest, and all that remained of him, was gone. "Where did it go?!" She began to tear through the box, though it was impossible for it to be hiding behind anything else, as big as it was. "Did you drop it or take it out or-"

"No... I didn't do anything. It's gone. Maybe... maybe he's okay." Phantom said.

"I hope that's what it means." Mystic said. "Alright, I guess we can take a job."

"So, I have an idea." Carver said. "How about we split up? Ashley and I, and you and Phantom?"

"No." Mystic immediately shot him down. "I don't care what the reason is, but you are not going off alone together."

"Fine by me. Just a suggestion." He said, with as much a shrug as his body could manage.

Once they got to the job board, Phantom looked it over. "Go in search of a rare treasure? Hmm, sounds fun, how about that?" Everyone else nodded, so he took down the letter.

"I've heard tales of a treasure hidden in Aurora forest. I'm not strong enough to find it, so please go find out if it's true!"

They went upstairs to the map room. "Wait." Ashley said. "Carver doesn't have a badge. He can't use the thing."

"I think I remember how to do it." Phantom said. "Be right back." He went downstairs by himself, and into the main office. He looked around a bit, until he found a box of badges. They were all dull and grey. He took one out and tapped his badge to it. It lit up, and the color changed to gold. Now that he looked at his own, it was the same color. That was odd. It had originally been bronze or copper. He decided it didn't much matter, and went back upstairs. "Here." He said, giving it to the absol.

"Thanks." He said, pinning it just above where his horn connected to his head.

"So I was looking at the place, uh, remember that tower we went to, where that trap was... Well our job's at the forest we went to after that."

"Oh... that..." He said, blushing.

"I don't blame it you." She told him, putting a paw on his.

"Care to explain?" Ashley asked.

"Nope." Mystic said, sticking out her tongue. "Things happened. That's all you need to know. Anyway, here it is." She planted her paw on the spot. One by one they tapped their badges on it, teleporting in a pillar of light.

"Oh yeah, I remember this place. Spook tower is nearby. The Blade, the predecessors of the Shadow, had a trap there. We converted it to a similar one. Instead of knockout gas, it was a trap I helped create, called a lust trap. It works similar to attract and makes anyone who breathes it in... well, I'm assuming you can guess."

"Wait a minute." Ashley said, squinting at Mystic as she connected the dots. "Oh, I get it." She snickered. "You and Phantom-"

"Shut it." Mystic told her, pointing to Phantom. "You're gonna kill him." He was beet red.

"What's the big deal? We've already done it."

"It was our first time." Mystic told her, making Phantom hit an even deeper shape of red. "So!" She said loudly, ending that train of thought. "Treasure. Let's get lookin'."

They were just on the edge of the forest, in a small open patch of grass next to the main road.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Carver asked.

"Treasure." Mystic told him.

"Treasure like what? Jewels? Items?"

"Treasure." She repeated.

"So we have no idea. Great." He said sarcastically. "How will we even know if we found it? Treasure is treasure, but how will we know if it's THE treasure?"

"Just relax." Ashley told him. "The job is only to take a look and see if we can find anything."

"I thought being in a rescue team, we would go, oh, I don't know, rescue people!"

"Hush." Ashley said, smacking his foreleg with a paw. "We'll get to that. Our job is to help people, one way or another."

"Look who sounds like the expert now." Mystic teased her. "The forest isn't a dungeon so we should be fine. Let's kick it." And so they ventured into the forest.

As she said, the forest was hardly dangerous. There was skittering in the brush from pokemon and animals, but nothing tried to attack them, likely because of the size of their group. Nothing really happened, until they heard a far off voice, rapidly getting louder and closer.

"HEY!" A female voice yelled from above them.

They all looked up, but no one could see the source. Suddenly something red burst through the trees, moving in a blur. It stopped, sending a powerful gust of wind at them, billowing all of their fur. A talonflame landed before them, panting.

"Please." She said. "You have to help me. My brother's sick!" She begged. "He's really sick!"

"Of course we'll help. Where is he?" Carver asked before anybody else could.

"Follow me." She took to the air, flapping her wings to stay in the air and guide them forward. She stayed in the forest, skillfully navigating between the trees. They followed the bird for a long time, until they eventually an old ornate archway.

"What is this?" Mystic asked. "Why are there ruins like this in the middle of the forest?"

"Oh... Um, uh... Please don't freak out on me, I really need your help." She said, before her form shimmered. Her body changed, as if her old form was a mirage, revealing the red body of a latias.

"Should we be freaking out?" Mystic asked.

"Oh, you don't recognize me?" She asked.

"I do." Carver said. "Latias, part of the eon duo. So your brother must be Latios."

"Yes, he can't hide like I can, so I'd have to reveal myself eventually. Most people run away or think they're dreaming when they see me. That's why I hid." Latias explained as they entered the ruins. "Hurry, he's right over her." She suddenly dashed forward, moving in a blur again, stopping near an elevated tree that had a large nest built into it. She came down holding a larger blue pokemon that heavily resembled her. She was visibly struggling with his weight, but she pushed herself to get him down. With a pained grunt, she set him down on the cracked white stone path. Behind them was a large fountain, but the water had since run dry. All around them were the remains of a beautiful garden, overgrown with flora. In the center of it was the fountain, and behind that was the tree, massive and ancient.

Latios had his eyes shut, and groaned in pain as he was set down. "Lati, what are you doing?" He asked with a hoarse voice.

"I found somebody to help you brother. Please, you need help!" She told him.

He turned his head and looked at the new arrivals. His eyes opened, and he scowled. His eyes began to glow and a few rocks floated up near them. "Get out!" He growled.

"Brother, stop!" Latias yelled. "We need them!"

He suddenly lifted his head and began coughing loudly. The pebbles around him dropped to the ground. His head fell back and he groaned. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this..."

"Stop being so negative!" She shouted. "These people are gonna help us. Right?" She raised her head to look at them.

"Of course." Carver said. "Anyone have medical skill?" Nobody volunteered. "That's bad. In that case, I'll take the head. All three of you go find any berries you can. I mean any, I don't care what." Carver stepped forward and gently put his paw on Latios, feeling his breathing from several spots.

"Didn't you just say no one has medical experiance?" Latias asked him.

"I essentially did. I have field skill. I used to be an adventurer after all."

"So can I do anything?" She asked.

"Yes. Help me move him somewhere more comfortable, like that grass over there." He said.

Meanwhile, Phantom, Mystic and Ashley all scattered in different directions, leaving the garden in search of berries. As they left, they saw more of the garden. It was a large circle, enclosed by a white stone wall, with a rusty iron fence topping it. Most of the walls and fences were in remarkably good shape, considering the apparent age of the garden. Everything was overgrown with brush and vines, but still standing. There were only four entrances, one in each of the cardinal directions.

A short time later, they came back with large amounts of assorted berries, Phantom holding them in the box, and the girls holding them in a basket formed by their tails. They let all the berries spill out onto the floor next to Latios. Carver immediately began to pick through them.

"Alright, taste these, and tell me which you like best." He slowly lifted each of the berries to Latios' lips.

"That one, the sour one." He eventually said.

"Alright. Iapapa berries... Eat as many as you can." He picked out as many as he could, putting them in a separate pile. Latias tried to sit up and reach for them, but his strength faltered. Instead, Latias began to feed them to him.

"Lati, you don't need to." Latios grunted.

"Alright, know what Lum berries look like? Pick those and any other condition curing berries out." Carver turned to the dragons. "Is there any running water nearby?"

"Yes, let me start the fountain." Latias rose and flew slowly over to the old fountain and started to turn a crank.

"LATIAS! STOP NOW!" Latios roared, surprising everyone with the sudden outburst. "You should know better."

"But... You're sick. You know how bad it is, we have to do something! Besides, I trust them." She said, continuing to turn with her stubby arms. Eventually water began to flow, quickly filling the basin with fresh, clean water.

Carver got up and got two rocks, cleaning them both, before bringing them back. He then used the rocks to crush the gathered berries into a fine paste. "We don't have any bowls... You'll just have to eat it straight. It will taste horrible, but it should help." Carver held up the rock, still with a pile of berry paste on it.

Latios grimaced and licked up the concoction. He groaned and stuck out his tongue after wards. "That was foul. Are you sure about this?"

"The best medicine is like that. Latias, remember these berries. Iapapa." He pointed at the now smaller pile. "Keep feeding him these until he recovers, along with Lum berries, the round green ones. Can you manage to find them on your own?"

"Yes, I think so. But is that it? He doesn't look much better..."

"Yes, that's all I can do. Healing is slow. You could go see a doctor, but I don't think you want to be seen in the public."

"Wow, that's pretty impressive." Ashley complemented him. "Didn't expect you to be so handy."

"Excuse me, Latias? Could you tell me what that sparkle is?" Phantom asked. He pointed over to the fountain where something was twinkling in the center of the fountain.

"I knew it." Latios growled, trying to get up again. Latias pushed him back down.

"It's a special thing called the Soul Dew. Please don't touch it. It is precious beyond measure. It only appears when the water flows, so..."

"It's okay. I was just curious." Phantom said.

"Guess that's our job." Mystic said.

"Wait, are you..." Latias moved to the side to look Mystic in the eyes. "I thought I recognized you. Do you remember a while ago, when you were attacked by a nidoking in this forest? I saved you!"

"Uh... Oh yea, thanks." Mystic said, having to think for a moment to remember.

"Welcome. So why did you come here?" She asked.

"Well, we were supposed to find out if there was a rare treasure hidden here."

"Oh, I understand. Usually no one can approach this place. Between my ability to disguise myself, and brother using his psychic powers, we can drive most anyone off. But as he is now..."

"What treasure?" Mystic said with a smile. "We didn't find any treasure."

"Thank you so much." Latias said gratefully.

"Don't mention it. And we won't either." Carver said with a smirk.

"Alright. That wraps up that job. Time to head home." Mystic said. Everyone activated their badges in short order, returning back to their base. "That went pretty well I'd say." She said once they returned. "Phantom and I will go turn this in. You two can stay here. Make dinner or something." She and Phantom then went out the door and to the main base.

"Well, she changed her tune. Guess I did a good job today." Carver said proudly.

"Yea, you really did. I wasn't too sure about bringing you in before now."Ashley told him.

"Way to kill my ego..." He muttered. "Well, for all my skills, making good food is not one of them."

"Me neither. We'll just have to improvise."

"How?! How do you ruin an apple like this?!" Mystic shouted, sticking her tongue out and raking it with her paws in an attempt to remove the flavor.

Phantom experimentally licked one. "Why did you salt them?"

"Well, salt makes everything better..." Carver said. "I thought."

"You are never cooking for us again." Mystic told him.

"Does that imply I would have the chance otherwise?"

"That's a roundabout way to ask." Mystic said. "For the time being, you are a part of Team Memories." She took a deep breath. "Sorry for how harsh I was." She said, sounding forced.

"It's alright. I deserved it." He said, scraping off a salty apple before eating it.

"Yeah, you did."

He smiled. "I think we're gonna get along just fine."


	33. Chapter 30

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Carver the Absol

Chp 30

"I'm surprised you haven't tried anything." Ashley said that morning. Phantom and Mystic had left to get some groceries, leaving them with little else to do.

"Hmm?" Carver asked.

"Well, I've been teasing the shit out of you. Don't tell me you didn't notice all the little tail flashes and the gropes while we slept."

"Oh I noticed. And I plan to pay you back in due time, but a gentleman has control of his more primal side."

"You're no gentleman." She said.

"You wound me, my dear." He said in a posh accent.

"Can it." She said, stifling a laugh at his silly voice. "As soon as they get back we'll have work to do." They sat in relative silence, for a time. The only sounds were him pacing back and forth, and the outside noises.

"I'm bored. I'm used to going full speed constantly. And there's nothing around to kill time. Think we could get a TV, or something?"

"I dunno. We spent all our money on this place, so we don't really have much. But some stuff like that would be nice... Alright, it's settled." She stood and walked over to the door. "Coming?"

"Uh... what are we doing exactly? I thought we were gonna wait here."

"Not anymore. If we're gonna deck this place out, we'll need some poke. So we're gonna take our own job."

"Won't the others worry about where we went?"

"Nah! They'll figure it out. C'mon, we gotta go before Mystic gets back, she'll shoot us down otherwise."

"She'll be mad no matter what..." He muttered as he followed her out.

"So what kinda job do you think we should do today?" Mystic asked as they walked back.

"I fink fwe fhould fo fee for fourfelves." Phantom said, muffled by the bar he was carrying in his mouth. It was connected to a cart behind him, which contained a large amount of food.

"I didn't get a word of that. Pick up the pace, we're almost home." They were at the top of the hill that led down to their base. A short time later, and they were home. "Ashley! We're back! Come help us unpack and we can get to work." She stepped into the base, only to find it empty. "Oh son of a bitch! She left!"

"What's the big deal? She's plenty strong."

"It's not her I'm worried about. Carver... I just don't feel like I can trust him."

"You saw how he acted yesterday, and Mewtwo did similar things to him."

"I don't trust Mewtwo either. His actions are unforgiveable."

"That doesn't mean they shouldn't try to atone." Phantom said. "It's too late either way, so we're on our own."

"Yeah, might as well try to get something done."

Ashley stepped up to the job board. "Any ideas?" She asked the absol behind her.

"Something heroic."

"Heroic like monster slaying or heroic saving people? Oh, how about this?" She reached up and plucked one off.

"My younger brother ran off to Tempest Crevace. He thought he was stronger than Entei, so he went to challenge him. I tried to follow him, but the dungeon is too tough, someone please go save him. Target: Nick the Eevee."

"That may do both, though I'm not too eager to fight fire types." Ashley said.

"Worry not madam." He said, doing his posh accent again. "Your valiant knight will protect you."

She giggled a bit. "Alright then mr knight. Let's go." They went up to the second floor, and after a quick look at the wall map, which had the names of places on it, they warped away.

"Any ideas yet?" Mystic asked.

"I dunno, how about a good old fashioned exploration."

"Got one right here." She took the letter and tore it open.

"I've heard about a dungeon that only appears rarely for a short period of time. I found it but... I'm too scared to actually go in. Go find out what's inside!"

"Sounds fun. But how will we find where to go?"

"There's a map inside. We'll be fine."

"Alright, fire place. Ready?" Carver said once they arrived at the entrance. The opening was right ahead of them. True to the fire theme, it was charred black, loose ash and dust blowing around, and two torches were lit in two holes in the roof, making the cave mouth look like a angry maw in the dark. It was light however, so the effect was mostly lost.

"Okay, you're in front." Ashley told him, falling in line behind him.

"At least you can't tease me this time."

"That's what you think. But I won't. Just keep the fire away from me."

He nodded and they proceeded inside.

The inside was remarkably well lit for a cave, though the sources were varied, from lit fires and braziers to glowing gems in the walls. They didn't find any large rooms, the biggest they passed through was only big enough to walk side by side. Every once in a while, Carver would slash his claws and swing his horn at something, but all Ashley saw was flashes of the attacker. He did a good job of preventing any harm from coming to her, as nothing made it past him, even around the sides. The cave was hot, with a thin fog of steam coating the air and making her sweat.

"Seen anything?" She asked after they had been going for a while.

"Nothing. But have you noticed?"

"What?"

"When we entered, we were going down, but now the slope's going back up. So unless we got turned around..."

"I don't think we did, so something must be coming up."

As she said this, the path was widening out. For the first time in a while, she could lean to the side to look around him. Up ahead, the lighting began to change, from the flickering shadow laden fire light, to real sunlight. He slowed his pace to give him more time to assess the coming situation.

"You know about the elemental hounds right?" Carver asked.

"Yeah, Entei, Raikou and Suicune. Entei's supposed to live here."

They then passed out of the cave. The area was sunk into the rock, creating a circular area. The sky was visible above. On the far end was the incarnation of fire himself, Entei.

"Ah, another visitor. It has been a long time since so many have come through here. What can I do for you?" He asked in a booming voice. Despite the power contained in it, there was a gentleness to it.

"Um, sir, we came to look for a missing eevee. Have you seen him?"

"Ahh, such manners. As for the pup," Entei pointed over to a small brown ball.

"Is he..." Carver asked.

"No. He is merely resting. I did not harm him. He certainly tried to harm me, and tired himself out in the process."

"Oh, that's great." Ashley said, relieved. "We'll bring get him out of your hair."

"It is fine. It was amusing to see such a little thing try to best me. I hardly felt his tackles."

"How did he make it through the cave? That's what I'm curious about."

"The pokemon that dwell here, wild though they may be, respect me. No innocents are to be harmed. If they cannot fight back they are not to be attacked."

"Oh, I see."

"You know, after what Mewtwo told us, I'm wondering something. Why do wild pokemon act like they do? Surely they have the same intelligence as us." Ashley asked.

"I know not who this Mewtwo is, but I can answer that." Entei said. "Many pokemon, those that the more civilized call wild, form tribes or territory. They rule over that place with their own rules and beliefs. The tribe of fire types that lives around here worship me as a god, and will obey my every word."

"That explains a lot. Alright, thanks a bunch. I was scared you'd be some angry beast."

Entei let out a hearty chuckle. "Part of being known as a fiery pokemon. My brother and sister are similar. We are all known as forces of nature, but we are kind hearted. It was nice speaking to you. Most are too scared to talk to me, or want a fight."

They went over to the eevee and nudged his shoulder.

"Wake up." Ashley said gently. "It's time to go home."

"Did my sister send you?" Nick asked.

"Yes, she did. Are you okay?"

"No, she's gonna make fun of me." The young fox said.

"She wouldn't have sent us if she didn't care."

"Whatever." He said dismissively.

Ashley tapped him with her badge, and then they warped back too.

Once back at their base, Nick was waiting there. They set off, him guiding the way back to his house in Journey Town. When they arrived and knocked on the door, a flareon opened the door.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I believe this is yours." Carver said, stepping aside to reveal the eevee that had been hiding behind him.

She gasped and darted forward, nuzzling Nick. "Oh thank you so much. Don't you ever run off like that again. Mom would kill us both! I'm supposed to be babysitting you."

"I... ugh, sorry." He reluctantly apologized.

"I know how you feel. I was your age once." She sighed. "Go on and play with your friends. Just be home before mom is."

"Really?! Thanks!" He shouted, before happily bounding off.

"And don't get into anymore trouble!" She shouted after him, but he was long gone. "Now, come inside and we can discuss your reward. Nicole, by the by."

They followed her into the small apartment. It only had three rooms, a kitchen/living room, and two bedrooms. She sat them down on the rug, on some pillow cushions. "So, as you heard, my mom doesn't know about this, and I'd like to keep it that way. And I don't have much money..."

"It's alright. We're happy to help."

"That's kind, but I feel like I've gotta give you something... Surely a beautiful girl could have something to offer, to a male like you~" She purred, stepping close to Carver.

"Uh, is this okay?" He asked, looking to Ashley.

"Oh!" She said, blushing as she backed away. "I didn't think you were a couple. I'm so sorry." She lowered her head in shame.

"No, it's not that. Just kinda sudden." Ashley said. "I'm perfectly willing to share, if you're game." She said, eyeing Carver for his reaction.

"Damn, I'm a lucky male. If that's what you both want, I won't complain."

"Alright then. Follow me and we can get down to business~" She said, walking towards her room. As she did, she waved her tail in a circle, giving Carver a look at her nethers.

"Time to reap the rewards." He muttered, a smile forming on his muzzle.

"And west to... here." Phantom said, mirroring the line on the paper map with the map room. "I think that's the right spot." He cross-referenced the map again.

"One way to find out." Mystic pressed her badge to the spot, and he followed.

They found themselves in a wide open field, with no tower in sight.

"Time to go back." Mystic said. "Must have gotten the wrong spot."

"Wait, hold on." He said. Her paw stalled over her badge. "I read about a place like this. There was this island that only appeared under very specific conditions. Maybe this place is similar?" He took a step forward and looked around. "What is that?" He pointed to a spot a ways away.

"Hmm? What?" She asked.

"There's like... shimmer..." He said, walking closer. She stayed put and watched. "Come over here!" He shouted after a bit.

She started walking. Behind him, something moved, like a wave. As she got closer, the moving air became more intense, until suddenly it vanished. It was replaced by a large tower like building, about five stories tall. "What the..."

"This has to be it. Let's go." He stepped forward and up to the door. There was a sign on it. 'Trickster's House'. "House? Does somebody live here?"

"I dunno, we got hired to explore so, we'll find out." She said, urging him forward. He pushed the door in, and held it for her to pass. Inside they found an unassuming room with no furniture. As the door fell back closed, a dark laugh sounded out.

"Welcome, my guests. There is no escape now, as the door has locked behind you. Great treasure awaits you upon finding the end of this place, but misfortune lies in wait on the path. Welcome to my house. Trickster's house." The voice said, coming from all directions.

"What?" Mystic asked. She looked over to Phantom. "Read anything about this?"

"No, but we have an escape orb, so we'll be safe." He said.

They took a closer look at the room, but there wasn't anything more to see. It was plain white walls with a wood floor and ceiling. A single light fixture in the middle of the floor lit the room. On the other end of the room were two single doors on the left and right of the wall.

"So... Which way?" Mystic asked.

"I don't think it matters. This is probably a maze."

"That wasn't my question. How about right?" She said, stepping towards that door.

"Sure." He said, joining her. He pushed the door open, and stepped through with her in tow. The new room was... exactly the same. As before, the door closed shut behind them, preventing escape. "Uh..." He stepped forward but when he got halfway across the room, he stopped. "What is..." He lifted a paw and tapped it to the ground. "It's gooey..."

"What are you talking about?" She stepped beside him and pressed against the ground. "Eww, that's gross." She looked down after feeling the same. "The fuck?"

In the middle of the floor was a small face, hidden by the seams in the floor, and it was frowning. "I'm not gross..." It said sadly. The floor changed, from brown wood, to a pink slime. It morphed and a blob of goo rose up, the sad face rising to the front.

"It's a ditto." Phantom said.

"OH!" Ditto gasped. "Sorry guys, I blew it." It said. On the wall, four more ditto appeared, slinking to the floor. Two of them had been hiding doors by mimicking the wall, and the other two had been doors.

"What is this?" Mystic asked.

"This is Trickster's house. I thought you would know that. You can go on now." It said, before melding back into the floor.

"Wait, what does that mean? What is this place?" She asked, but the mouth on the floor disappeared, and so did the mouths of the other ditto.

"I guess we've gotta keep moving." She complained. "Right door again."

They went to said door, and opened it, stepping through. Just before the door closed behind them, they heard a snicker. This room was visually different. As soon as the door closed, they were plunged into darkness.

"From what I saw, the room is identical to the last, so feel around carefully." Phantom said.

"I didn't see any enemies, did you?" He shook his head. "Great." They slowly began to move forward, experimentally reaching forward to avoid tripping or stepping on something. Then there was a click. Mystic gulped. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yeah, you hit a trap... Just stay put, I'll see if I can-"

"Looks like we caught something. Ready?" A male voice said.

"Yep. I'll hit the lights." A female one said.

The lights turned on, revealing two pokemon on the other side of the room: a blitzle and a growlithe. Mystic looked down to see what she had stepped on. It was a trap with a heart on it... A bolt of lightning from Blitzle forced her to jump back, setting it off. A cloud of thick pink, sweet smelling smoke burst from the trap, quickly filling the room.


	34. Chapter 31 (X)

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Carver the Absol

Chp 31

Ashley went into the flareon girl's room, letting the door swing shut behind her. Carver sat there for a moment, collecting his thoughts. Getting back into the sex life was his last plan, but here it was again. At least it was for a good reason this time. He stood and walked over to the door, slowly opening it.

Inside, the two foxes were on the bed, Ashley on her back, and Nicole the flareon on the vulpix's stomach. There were mutually eating each other out, and they looked over to him when he came in, girl juice on each of their muzzles.

"Mind if I go first?" Nicole asked.

"Maybe if you keep lickin'." Ashley said. After a bit of moving, Ashley was lying on her back at the head of the bed, with Nicole in front of her, head at the white furred crotch, and putting her orange rear on display for Carver.

Such as sight was not an uncommon one for him, but that made it no less enjoyable. The most girls he had ever had at once was a group of lopunny, eight at once. That had been one long night. As nice as the view was, he couldn't help but take in the sight of the room, through pure force of habit. The bedroom was pretty small, effectively split in two. On one side was presumably the brother's half, with boyish toys and posters. On the girl's side were more frilly things, and a few stuffed pokemon dolls. There was a bed on each side. A whistle from Nicole brought his attention back, specifically to her swaying rear, where her orange cunny was waiting.

He approached the bed, stepping up onto it, as it was only about a foot off the ground. He could see her quivering in anticipation as he got closer. He gently put a paw on her back. "I'll be gentle. Don't worry. I've had virgins before."

"How did you know?" She asked, sounding nervous.

"Your stance, the way you shake, that's not excitement, it's nervousness. But I'm curious, why did you decide to do this?"

"I'm... well, my friends all tease me for being a prude virgin, so I thought I'd do something slutty..."

"That's alright, if this is what you really want."

"Wait a minute." Ashley said. "Are you really sure about this? Your first time should be special, with someone you love."

"No, I want this, right now." Nicole said. She shook her rear more intensely, backing up towards Carver.

"Alright, that's all I needed to hear." Carver said, coming even closer. He stepped over her, not able to truly mount her. She was a little bigger than Ashley, but not enough that he could fully rest on her back. He lowered his haunches, grinding his sheath and slightly exposed tip against her fluffy butt. He purred into her ear once he felt her pussy. A few more light humps and teasing moves got him mostly erect, and she was long since ready to go. "Here I come." He warned.

His red and pointed tip spread her canine pussy expertly, his nubs giving her sensitive lips a massage as they slid in. He went as slow as he could, until he reached a familiar barrier. He took the tip of one ear in his mouth and lightly nibbled on it, before slamming in, taking her virginity. She let out a sharp gasp of pain, and grit her teeth. She tried distracting herself by working Ashley's lips more fiercely, with skill built up by many nights of self indulgence. After giving her a moment to recover, Carver started moving again, using his tip to explore her untouched depths. She let out a whine under him, not one of pain, but of pleasure.

Her vaginal walls were gripping him with need, moving in waves and pulses, trying to coax him deeper. Again, she was bigger than Ashley, but she was still tight. The biggest difference between his favorite girl and her was their temperature. Ashley had a chilly body, keeping him cool and helping him last for a long time, but this female was hot. Hotter than any he'd had, maybe besides that rapidash. She was as comfortable as a hot bath, though it felt far sexier than that. He snuggled into her body more, letting her fluff enclose him and warm his own fur. She helped this by sneaking her tail out from under him and draping it over his flank. He felt like he was melting, and he was intent on giving her some warm feelings of her own.

He bottomed out, tip pressing on her clenched cervix, with only a couple inches left outside. Now that he knew her depth, he drew out slowly, reveling in the way her pussy clutched at him. When only his tip remained, it was time to begin. He pounded in, his balls swinging forward and slapping against her. His tip fired some pre, adding his lube to the mix. His thrusts lost no momentum, the sound of slapping fur accompanying each pound.

On the front end, Ashley was petting the flareon's snout and head as she licked and tongued her cunny. Using one paw, Nicole was pressing and rubbing on Ashley's clit. The temperature difference felt wonderful to Ashley. If she was a little more cold, steam would be forming, but she didn't want to freeze the flareon and distract her from Carver. From the look of pleasure on Nicole's face, he was doing a good job. And she could barely keep on pleasuring Ashley, having to take a break to moan, or thrust back against him.

Her cute little noises brought a smile to the absol's face, not to mention the feelings in his loins. Introducing another girl into the ways of love always felt good. His balls were hanging low, filled and ready for the climax, and it was closing in. She was a quiet lay, but she had already had a few orgasms herself. She was in a state of euphoria, as if she was in a trance. Most of Ashley's pleasure was coming from her own efforts and grinds against Nicole's muzzle. His own efforts of breaking in the virgin had bore fruit, as he was now able to fit his entire member in, save for the knot. It was a tight fit, his tip jammed against her innermost sanctum. "Ready?" He whispered lustfully into her ear.

"What are you... ohhhh~" She purred, the sound vibrating into Ashley. He slammed in to the max, his knot greedily pressing against her lips while her honey squirted out around him. He forced himself not to tie her, and lightly humped her deeply. He held it, and held it, his shaft throbbing violently inside her, until he could do it no longer, finally letting loose his liquid absol. She purred even more deeply, grinding her hips against him. His knot strained against her, but without his effort, it would not go in. A wave of seed breached her into her womb, filling it with his essence. His balls throbbed as he pumped cum deep into her, until it started overflowing, dripping out and onto her bed. Without a knot to seal it in, the mixed juices were flowing freely. She let out a pleased sigh and slumped down, no longer able to support her own weight.

"Team Memories, if you ever need more." He told her as he pulled out, a flow of cum splashing out.

She let out a slight noise, but she was long gone. She rolled to the side and was out cold.

"Now, as for you..." He said, licking his lips as he approached Ashley.

"Not here. Let's go home first." She pressed her badge and vanished, and he quickly followed. Back at the base, she was already walking inside, her tails up. She made it to the bed before raising her rear and shaking it at him. "Fuck me." She demanded.

He needed no more convincing and climbed over her, his still erect cock homing in on her vulva. With no hesitation, he went full blast, humping her with all he had. Numerous sexual encounters had tempered both his libido and balls. They were already full again, and he was still horny. He was ready to satisfy her needs. There was little formality, only a frenzied lustful rutting. They were both already on edge, and rapidly closing in on their respective climaxes.

"Wait..." She said. He forced his hips to slow down, still lightly moving to keep the pleasure going. "Stop." She told him, trying to get out from under him.

He retreated, allowing her to escape. "What?" He asked.

She looked back and smiled. "Good boy. Now get back to work." She ordered. He didn't need to be told twice, hopping back up and returning to his thrusts. He redoubled his efforts, and she put her own effort into it, thrust back and milking his cock for its treat. One thrust hit a certain spot, making her shudder and moan cutely.

This made him smirk and adjust his stance to better hit that spot. Her cries of pleasure spurred him on. The song she was singing was music to his ears. As much as he wanted to cum, he didn't want this to end, so he forced his hips to slow down, favoring accuracy over force or speed. A powerful orgasm suddenly overtook her, rendering her a quivering and squeaking mess.

"Cu... cum..."

"Mmmm." He purred into her ear, nuzzling her neck.

"Knot me already. Fucking cum!" She screamed, slamming herself back with more force than he had ever seen a female use. It almost threw him off balance, were he not clutching onto her for dear life. As much as he would love to keep humping her, she made the decision for him, as his knot, already soaked in her honey, and the remains of the previous encounter, slipped right in. The tightness of her canine pussy rippling around his swollen knot felt amazing, and try as he might, he couldn't hold back. He let out a moan of his own, as he lost control of his body, hips rutting into her as best they could, making shallow grinds against her womb as seed blasted from his tip, spraying all over her walls and filling her up. The massive knot being cradled by her cunny prevented anything from getting out, no matter how much of their mixing juices were inside her. Her belly began to bulge slightly from the sheer volume of seed he was pumping into her. "Hah... hah... hah... If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to get me pregnant." She said after a bit.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were the one trying to get knocked up." He retorted.

"Well, you did good. If you didn't pick up on it, that was a bit of a test." She turned her head and kissed his chin. "You stopped in the middle of it cuz I asked. That's all I needed to know." He lowered his head to kiss her back.

"Ugh! Phantom... I can't..." Mystic groaned, trying to move, to fight back, to run, anything but sit there. She failed however, just standing still as the male blitzle approached. It was plainly obvious that it was male, with the sizable equine shaft hanging under him.

Phantom was in a similar state, gritting his teeth as he tried to keep control of his body. The smoke from the lust trap was still in the room, though not quite as thick. It called out to his feral instincts, his natural desire to breed any female he could. And currently, that female was the growlithe who was sauntering closer with a sultry glint in her eyes. Separate from his own wants, his member was fully erect and throbbing with need, begging for a hole to fuck. Pre was dripping in massive amounts, more than natural, forming a small puddle under him.

"Oh, that's a fancy dick." Growlithe complemented him as she looked under his shaking body. His conical jet black tip kept drooling pre, coating itself in lubrication. Her head ducked under and slurped the side of his member, before she took the tip into her maw, murring around the meat. Phantom's body, out of his control, moved up, allowing her to get under him better, until he finally lost control fully, and mounted her shoulders. His hips started thrusting into her hot maw, not even caring for the occasional scrape from her teeth.

As Mystic lost control of her body, her head lowered and rear raised, her tails locking onto her back, presenting her goods to the Blitzle. She growled at him in an attempt to protect herself, but all he did was smile and mount her. His broad tip, so unlike a canine one, squished around her rear, pressing against everything. "Get off!" Mystic threatened.

He let out a burst of minor electricity. Her fur stood on end and her muscles locked up in response. With a now pacified vulpix, he moved his horsecock lower, placing it against her lips. Slowly, agonizingly so, he began to move forward, using pure force to open her tight pussy. She was not designed to take a cock like his, but he wasn't letting that stop anything. When his flared tip made it into her sweltering cunny, he whinnied and pounded the rest of the way in, tip smashing against her cervix painfully as her hind end was stuffed full of cock. She yelped at the stinging pain.

Phantom's ears perked up at the sound. His entire body clenched up as he tried to move. His muscles screamed in pain as he used sheer willpower to overpower his body. He pushed off of Growlithe, falling backwards and away from her. She didn't miss a step, closing in and darting between his legs to continue sucking his dick. Phantom grimaced, body shaking as he reached down and opened the box.

"What... Shit!" Growlithe shouted when she saw what he was doing. She was too slow however, and Phantom managed to activate the escape orb inside. In an instant, both he and Mystic teleported away, leaving the two pokemon hanging. "Oh well. C'mere you big stud~" She purred, presenting to the Bliztle, who was more than ready for her.

Mystic and Phantom appeared back in front of the base. They were both panting, their sexes pounding, demanding to be sated. Wordlessly, they both walked inside.

Ashley and Carver were still tied together on the bed. They both jolted in surprise when Phantom and Mystic came in, and Carver experimentally tried to pull his knot out, but it wasn't budging.

"Oh, uh, hey, what's up?" Ashley asked awkwardly.

Neither of them said anything. Instead, Mystic bent over and Phantom mounted her without delay. Right away, they were fucking like wild beasts, making noises befitting that. Only a short time later, Phantom bottomed out and held, his knot slipping in as he seeded the female under him. She was not in heat, so nothing would result, but his body did not care. He had done his job. With both of them satisfied, and exhausted, they collapsed, passing out. Without continual exposure to the lust trap, the effects wore off in short order, and the side effects kicked in, resulting in a deep sleep.

"What just happened?" Ashley asked once they finished.

"Seems they got hit by attract, escaped here, and couldn't hold back anymore."

"You know, that move keeps coming up. There has to be a way to resist it."

"Well, I know a way. But it's not entirely simple."

"Well, then we should do it."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do, but not right now." He reached down and rubbed a paw over her mound. "Kinda tied up."


	35. Chapter 32 (X)

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Carver the Absol

Chp 32

Phantom awoke to Mystic rubbing his side. She wasn't trying to rouse him though, she was merely petting him. She was laying against his back, and they were on their sides, but he didn't remember getting into such a position, and his member was slightly erect. His lower half was coated with assorted liquids. "What time is it?" He asked.

"According to Ashley, it's been a day since we got back. We slept for a while. She and Carver left to go take care of something, and I didn't want to leave you here. How are you feeling?"

"Sore..." He said quietly. "Did what I think really happen?"

"Yep. Trickster's House and the lust trap. According the Ashley, we only did it once, but I'm just as sore as you. Carver said it was one of the side effects of the lust trap. It gives enhanced feelings, at the cost of soreness later. While it works similar to attract, it makes females submit and males try to fuck everything."

"Oh, ok." He said, a little embarrassed. "So... what are we gonna do today?"

"Well, Ashley said she had a plan, so we're waiting on them to get back I guess. So how are you feeling, mentally. The last time this happened, it messed you up."

"I'm okay... I think. At least we got out before..."

"I would have boiled that blitzle's dick right off. He's the lucky one."

"It's good that you can be so light hearted about it..."

"Hey bitches, how's it goin'?" Ashley said loudly as she came into the base. Carver was right behind her.

"So what's the deal?" Mystic asked her.

"So, we're gonna take another vacation."

Carver stepped forward. "Yes, in my travels I discovered many things. One of my favorites is an isolated hot spring. We'll be all alone for as long as we want, free of charge."

"That does sound nice. As long as it isn't part of your master plan to catch us off guard and get revenge." Mystic said, only a little bit serious.

"Yes, you've found me out." He said in an exaggerated evil voice. "I have over ten thousand men, waiting in an ambush!"

"Yeah right, tough guy." Ashley said, tapping his leg with the back of her paw. "Let's get going."

"What about food?" Mystic asked.

"I know exactly where the place is on the map, so we can easily go to and from." Carver said. "Though we should eat before we go."

"You two stay the hell away while we cook." Mystic said. She got up, followed by Phantom, and the two of them went over to the right side of the base, to the 'kitchen'.

"Well I'm going to play on the beach." Ashley said. She and Carver then left.

"So, what should we have for lunch, now that we've got so much food?"

"I have an idea." Phantom said. "How about pasta?" He asked.

"With what?"

"Uh... spaghetti." He said, taking a bottle of tomato sauce out of one of their cabinets.

"And how are we going to cook the noodles?"

"Oh..."

"You know what, let's go to the store. We've got electricity, but no stuff that uses it, so we can splurge on appliances."

A short time later, about an hour, the movers were gone and they had all their new shit. Ashley and Carver had come back to see what was going on. On the right side, they had a new fridge, and to the right of the bed, they had a brand new TV.

"Sweet!" Ashley said when she saw it.

Back with the kitchen, they also had a new selection of cooking apparatuses, mostly pots and pans.

"Now we've got a real home. Anybody think of anything else we need?" Mystic said.

"Some video games." Ashley said.

"I'm not entirely opposed to that." Phantom commented.

"Geez, what's with you two. We've got all the adventure we could ever want, but you wanna sit inside and screw around. We only got the TV because he wanted one." Mystic said. "And now we've got bills that we have to pay."

"I'll start making dinner." Phantom said, taking the supplies from the kitchen and moving them outside. "I'll need a fire starter." He said from outside. Mystic came out to find him with a pot resting on a metal grill sitting over the fire pit in the yard. She breathed a small flame, started the logs there alight, while he went back inside to fill the pot. He came back out slowly, carrying it with one paw and his teeth. He set the pot over the fire, and added the noodles once it boiled.

A while later, he had Mystic take the hot pot off and drain it. During their wait, Ashley and Carver were experimenting with the TV. Well, more Ashley was browsing channels, and Carver watching with no influence in the matter. "This sucks. We don't have any good channels."

"I believe my opinion on good channels and yours are different." He said.

"Yeah, we don't have any porno channels you perv." She said.

"I actually prefer educational shows. Pokeworld is my favorite."

Phantom took the noodles, added the sauce, and a bit of other spices. "Lunch is ready." He said. Once every one had some on a plate, they all dug in. Spaghetti was not the most graceful food for quadrupeds to eat, but it made up for the messiness in taste.

"Damn, we found our new cook." Ashley said.

"Yeah, I think you've got a real talent." Mystic said.

"I'm not that good..." He muttered, looking away bashfully.

"Well, here we are." Carver said. After a short walk, they had arrived at the hot spring. True to his word, the place was abandoned, and well hidden. A wall of brush blocked it from sight, and there was a small makeshift shelter built nearby. "Been a few months since I last came here. Little TLC and it should be good as new."

Mystic stepped past him and dipped a paw into the water. "Seems perfect to me." She took a deep breath and jumped into the spring. A plume of water splashed out and onto the ground, some of the steamy water getting onto Ashley.

"AH!" She screamed, jumping back. The sudden drops of hot water bubbled against her cold fur. In retaliation, she breathed a wave of cold air over the water. The water wasn't hot enough to counter it, and briefly dropped in temperature as the ice feel onto it.

Mystic grimaced and shivered, but held strong until the water warmed back up. "Why don't you come in here and try that." She threatened, breathing fire at the water, making it nearly boil.

Carver and Phantom just stood beside each other as the girls fought over the water. "Girls, I am right?" Carver asked.

Phantom looked up at the larger male and sheepishly said, "Y-yeah..."

"No need to be so nervous. I'm not gonna bite. We're a team now." He leaned down so he was at the same height. "Just so you know, we didn't exactly come here for a vacation." The absol said, before walking forward. "Alright, that's enough." He said, breaking up their temperature battle. "You're going to break it."

They both stopped, and Mystic swam over towards them, and the shallow end, so that she could stand. Ashley slowly began to get used to the water as she dipped her paws in.

"You should mark this place down. Would be nice to come here whenever." Mystic commented.

"Well, you three enjoy yourselves, I'm going to see if I can get this hut fixed up." He said, walking over the fallen bundle of branches and leaves.

"Really, not gonna kick it off immediately?" Ashley asked.

"Well, I was gonna wait for you." Carver responded.

"What?" Mystic asked.

"Well, after you two just showed up and rutted in the middle of the floor, we came up with an idea. You got hit by attract right?"

"Kinda, we stepped on a trap." Mystic explained.

"A trap with a heart on it?" Carver asked. She nodded. "That's not good..."

"Yeah, so I did some research at the Foundation. The move attract is illegal in general public. There are only two ways to completely nullify it. Severe pain can break the trance, or an item can prevent it. The only other option is to build up a resistance to it through repeated exposure. You won't be immune, but you'll at least keep control of your body."

"So basically we're shit out of luck." Mystic said.

"Wait... you don't plan on..." Phantom said quietly.

"Yep. Hit it!" Ashley yelled.

Carver sighed. "I don't want to start a fight or anything. I'm not doing it unless they agree."

Ashley looked over at him angrily. "Buzz kill. So... we should let him use attract on us over and over until it doesn't work."

"I'll do it to myself too." He added.

"I don't think that's a-" Phantom said.

"Alright." Mystic interrupted. "Better to keep it in the group than get raped."

"Okay then. A few things you need to know first. I slipped a timer into the box." He said, pointing at the box sitting on the rocks. He went over and took it out, wound it, and set it down. "Every twenty minutes I'll use another attract. Anyways, if an attract is powerful enough, it can make you go into heat and become fertile. Mine is that strong, however, it also contains the properties of Avos berries, so you won't get pregnant. What will probably happen is we mate all day, then pass out. And when we wake up, no more attract. All good?" Carver asked.

The girls nodded but Phantom didn't look very comfortable, fidgeting in place. He would go along with Mystic however.

"Alright. I've never uses attract this much, so I don't know exactly what will all happen, so..." Carver drew in a deep breath. He looked up, right above the spring, and winked exaggeratedly. A small heart came out of his face and drifted into the air. It hung there for a moment, until it exploded, showering pink dust over all of them. They all inhaled the sweet smell, and it began to affect their bodies.

For the boys, their cocks began to emerge from their respective sheathes. Black cone shaped for Phantom and a blue hybrid of canine knot and feline nubs for Carver. For the girls, their white and orange canine vulvas became wet and needy. After about a minute, Carver asked, "Everyone still with me?" He said, obviously uncomfortable.

"For now." Mystic said.

"Alright, I'll keep using it every once in a while. For now, just try to resist and do... whatever." He drew in a careful breath through pursed lips, accidently whistling for a moment. He soon joined the other three in the shallow end. The atmosphere was far more tense however. They were all trying their best to maintain control as the lust whispered through their minds. It quickly began to do a lot more than whisper.

Ashley was tense as she tried to resist the pleasure she was feeling. The tingling water usually felt nice, after she got used to it and raised her temperature, but right now, that tingling was very apparent on her teats and pussy. It was driving her mad. She sat down, and began to rub herself with her tails under the murky mineral rich water. She tried her best not to be noticed. She was not afraid of being sexual around her friends, but she did not want to be seen giving in first. It was just too... her mind began to calm down a bit now that she was feeling something satisfying. Her tails running over her lips, teasing her clit with its fluff, was a welcome feeling. It was better than sitting there squirming.

The others just sat there, feeling hot and bothered, but not acting on it yet. After a little while, a high pitched bell rang, and Carver used another attract. This one was much more effective. Just after they were hit, Ashley let out a shuddering moan and got out of the pool. She walked a couple steps away, before her front dropped, only propped up by her chin, while her front paws both went back and started rubbing her slit wildly. "Ohhh~" She groaned as she desperately tried to get some release.

"Well, looks like I'm needed." Carver said nonchalantly. As much as he tried to hide it, he was close to pawing off himself. He got out of the water, revealing his eight inches of breeding flesh, which was desperate for anything. The blue tool was throbbing as if it had a mind of its own and pre was drooling out liberally.

"Shouldn't you two try harder?" Mystic asked, sounding as if she had to force it out. She was fidgeting, and occasionally her paws drifted towards her crotch, but she caught herself every time.

But Carver was beyond it now. A female was presenting herself and he was there to take care of her. Lust had won out over reason and willpower. He quickly trotted over to Ashley, and stood over top of her, hips lowering and lining up. As soon as his tip touched her soaking lips, he slammed in, immediately rutting her as furiously as he could. The both of them were reduced to beasts, only seeking pleasure.

"Ugh... I'm not feeling so good." Phantom groaned. "Like I'm nauseous." He was sitting against the wall of the pond like Mystic was, and the very tip of his member was out of the water, shaking with his breathing.

Mystic grimaced when she saw this. A pang of need shot through her loins. Phantom nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a paw on his dick. He looked over to see Mystic moving over and sitting in front of him. Her front paws were massaging along his member.

"I can hardly stand this, and I doubt you can either. Just let me do this." She said. Before anything else could happen, a bell dinged. Despite his 'work', Carver remembered what that meant. Or maybe he just wanted to increase the pleasure and make his lusty vixen that much more into it. As the dust settled, Mystic froze. Her paws clenched, squeezing his dick tight between them.

"You okay?" He asked. As the attract ran through his body, something clicked. He reached down, and began to help Mystic jerk him off.

Out of the pool, slick noises came from under Carver as Ashley's icy pussy gripped desperately at him. In her lust addled state, her normal control of her body temperature, ranging from frozen to a few degrees below average, was fluctuating on its own. One moment she was ice cold, his cock hurting from the sensitivity, and the next she was hot. No matter what, she was soaked, her honey drooling out and coating their fur and aiding him in sliding in and out. Her tight depths were milking him for every drop of cum his balls had, her body nearly putting in as much effort as he was. Her pussy was consistently slammed back onto his dick, aided by his own thrusts. In her arousal, her cervix was wide open, allowing his pointy tip to enter her womb. The rest of his member was too large for that however.

Back in the water, Phantom was panting with a happy grin as both he and Mystic rubbed his member with their paws. She brought her head down and began to lick at the tip. The pre that would have gathered there was absent as the water washed it away, but she still tasted something salty from the minerals in the spring. She soon recovered and lifted her head again. "Still with me?" She asked through her own panting.

His eyes refocused and looked at her. "Yeah... I zoned out for a while..." He said, his paws slowing to a halt.

"Okay, I'm still in control too, but..." She bit her lip. "I need it. Bad." She told him.

"I wouldn't be opposed to the idea..." He said, trying not to sound like he wanted it as well. By the way his shaft throbbed between her paws at the idea, the truth was obvious. She put a paw on his chest, pushing him back, before climbing onto his lap. Now that she was sitting on him, her forepaws on his shoulders, her pussy was touching the base of his member, fuzzy sheath rubbing against it. She lifted her rear, moved forward a bit, and dropped once his tip was on her entrance. Her head raised to the sky as she let out a puff of smoke. "Ohhh~" She groaned.

"Thank you..." She heard Phantom whisper.

"You can quit being modest now." She said. She licked up the side of his face. "You're cute when you're shy, but I need relief. Just let me do this." She immediately went to town on him, riding his cock rough and fast. She was restricted by the water though. As much as she wanted to, needed to, she couldn't go as fast as she needed. The slower she went, the longer she had to deal with this burning desire. The water splashed with the pounding of her hips, waves filling the pool and water flying out. Her body was also not meant to fuck in a position like this.

Phantom was lucky. Not only because there was a horny vixen on his dick, but because the water he had been in was quite hot. His body was adapted to the heat, and her rising body temperature was only warm instead of burning hot, though he might be a little red afterwards. The hottest part of her body was easily her pussy. True to Carver's knowledge of attract, her body was releasing all the same chemicals as when she went into heat. Her arousal was only growing and her womb ached for a filling. Whether something would result from that remained to be seen. As much as her body craved it, her heart did not want this to be the way she had a kid. Some small part of her did want to have a baby from Phantom. They were good friends, and she did care for him, but the decision to really proclaim him as her mate like that... It was hard to say for real.

Back with the others, Carver was still rutting Ashley with all his might. He was in his own little heat, breeding urges overwhelming all others. His balls felt full and they needed to be emptied, preferably into the hole he was fucking. He wanted to do as he had done to many other girls. From jynx, to gardevoir, and even rarer pokemon, he had fucked many a lady. Some he had given eggs, but he never stayed. He was a wanderer after all. But all those girls were different. They had only been a quick fuck, something to pass the time. The girl below him right now, despite his body's natural desire to fuck her and move on, he liked her. All the others had been bubbly and ditsy, either slutty or resistant, some boring old thing. Ashley though, her upfront attitude, he liked it. The usual girls he would associate with would bend to his will, one way or another, while she was her own person. Maybe that was just what he needed. Even during their first meeting, he had to put out much more effort than usual to get her to let him have his way.

Ashley was perfectly okay with what Carver was doing. Based on her thrusting back into him, she was more than just okay. She was giving him a run for his money in terms of humping. Her six tails were wrapped tight around him, pulling him in and out and holding him in his rightful place. She was probably to most aware of what was happening, little as she could do about it. The attract was having an unintended side effect. Besides making them all horny, it was bringing out their more innate desires. She could feel it happening. She wanted to go over and be with her sister, and wanted to get away from Carver. She felt like she was giving herself up too easily. "Ah!" She squeaked when he made a particularly deep thrust, his knot almost slipping in. As much as she liked his personality, and thought he was a handsome 'mon, she still wanted to test him. As much as she wanted to be able to trust him, she couldn't risk it, not yet. So she kept her focus. This whole thing was a test. Not only would they be immune to attract, but she could see how he really acted, without any disguise he might be putting on. She had to be alert, no matter how good what he was doing felt...

The timer dinged again. Carver wanted to ignore it and keep thrusting, but he still had some semblance of the task at hand. Never resting his hips, he raised his head and let out another layer of attract.

As the dust settled, Mystic fell still on Phantom's lap. "Fuck it." She muttered. "This is just frustrating." She climbed off of him and left the water. She only made it a few steps before her tails flagged up and she waved her rear. Before she could even look back, Phantom was on her. When she did look back, she saw that his eyes were dull and distant. "You still you?" She asked.

"Who else would I be?" He whispered into her ear, his voice much deeper. He began to hump at her rear, until his dick landed home and he slipped into her. She wished it was really him who had made the choice to fuck her like this, with no coercion, but at this point she didn't care that much. He quickly settled into a fast rutting pace, hips slapping against hers. She just closed her eyes and smiled, allowing him to do all the work.

She let out a surprised noise when he locked his jaws on the scruff of her neck, pulling her body tight against his. She was fine with rough sex, as long as there was some kind of relief coming her way. However, he took it a step further, and bit into her, drawing blood. She let out a pained yelp.

Phantom shivered as his eyes focused again. He tasted something coppery in his mouth and felt something warm under him, and soft around his member. He looked down and saw Mystic, with something red staining the back of her neck. When she let out a whimper, he tried to squirm off of her, but her tails had wrapped around him, in the same way Ashley had. His member did slip out though, dripping her honey onto the ground. "I'm so sorry!" He blurted out. "I didn't mean to-"

"Stop." She said. "Just get back in me." She ordered, rubbing back into him and shaking her head lightly to rub her ears on his face. "I need it. I need you."

"Sorry... I'll be more careful.." He said, trying to get lined up again with much less enthusiasm.

"I love you, but sometimes I just need fucked. Look over there." She moved her head over. He turned to see Ashley and Carver, mating like wild beasts. With every powerful movement of his hips, his hefty balls slapped against her rear and his knot strained against her lips. "Just do me like that."

"Okay..." His member rubbed against her vulva, and his next light thrust let him back in. Her pussy was hot and soaked, parting for him while still clutching his own heated flesh. It felt amazing, and he blushed as he snuggled into her comfy fur. What she had just said... I love you... it made him happy to hear that. His hips, of their own accord, began to move. He felt his mind slipping again, but he forced himself not to lose control again, as good as it might have felt to do so.

"Just do what you did the last time we had sex, back with Ashley. I know we were in charge and you were just listening, but... that's the kind of thing I need. But I want it from you, not from some random horny male." She begged, hardly even aware of what she actually saying. The only thought running through her head was the need between her legs.

That made him even happier. She actually wanted him. Him, not the much larger and more sexually skilled absol across the way. Alright. He was going to give her what she wanted. He was, not just his body. If she didn't like him, she would have left long ago, so he had to be doing something right. And now she needed him. And he needed her too. He took a deep breath, hoped for the best, and thrust hard.

Mystic purred as his tip jammed against her cervix. His tip was too unlike a canine one, as the very tip was not small enough to slip inside her womb. She was wide open and ready to accept his seed, and the relief it would bring. He was already throbbing, veins pressing out as his member swelled with arousal. This made her seem even tighter, and with her pulsations and milking, he couldn't help but let out a moan.

Carver let out a throaty rumble into Ashley's ear, making it twitch from his hot breath. His knot kept pounding at her cunny, but it just couldn't slip inside. She had relaxed in her efforts, allowing him to take over as his thrusts became more and more powerful. And now that she wasn't helping, he couldn't manage to tie her.

"Hah, some big male you are." She teased. "My cute little pussy too tight for your big fat knot?" She would shift her weight when he bottomed out, grinding against him, but not putting in any force. He growled lightly and grit his teeth, but he just couldn't get it in. "Got this sexy vixen all to yourself and you can't even finish it?"

He raised his head, panting loudly while he tried even harder to get it in. His fully swollen knot was just too large to squeeze into her clutching depths.

"I'm tired of waiting!" Ashley said loudly. "Either cum or don't! Just fucking knot me already!" She demanded. Carver's cock bottomed out again, his knot straining against her like usual. He stayed in, moving further and further, until he had to take a step forward. The force of his continued thrust shunted her forward, the both of them sliding about a foot before she decided to give it to him. She planted her forepaws, stopping her forward progress, and then pushed back. A thin spark of pain ran through her rear as her cunny was spread as wide as possible, and she kept pushing. The combined force of her not submitting body and his not relenting hips made his knot push in. As soon as it made it in, her cunny squeezed tight, locking around his knot and sealing it in her. That was just the thing they both needed, as cum began to jet into Ashley.

Phantom was rapidly closing in on his own climax, and Mystic was trying to hold hers back for him. Suddenly, he made one hard thrust, knot slipping in. They both raised their heads and let out a mutual howl as they reached their long awaited climaxes at the same time. Phantom had thrust so deep that his tip barely passed through her cervix and into her womb. Pleasure completely overwhelmed any pain she may have experienced. In her orgasmic writhing, her cervix kept clenching onto his tip, forcing his seed to blast out at an even greater pressure, blasting into her womb and filling it with the promise of kids.

The timer dinged again. Last time, Carver hadn't heard it. He had been far too busy with his own vixen. Now, he used another attract. Though tied as the males were, there would have to be a break. Phantom hopped off of Mystic, and turned around, planting his throbbing balls on her rear, allowing her to feel the cum flowing out of him. She almost wished she would get pregnant, and felt like it would happen with the volume of life giving seed in her, but she remembered the consequences. Mates... with a kind hearted male... She closed her eyes as she basked in the afterglow.

Despite his bigger size, Carver was the first to deflate. Once he was out of Ashley, she collapsed, panting lightly with a big smile. She was just too tired to keep standing. Though the itch in her loins was starting to build up again, despite the creamy filling leaking out of her spread cunny. Carver instead went over to Mystic, who was still tied up. He was fully under the attract, only sex on his mind. And there was another girl to try. He stood near her face, with his side facing her, and wagged his slowly retreating cock in her face. It was still coated with his and Ashley's juices. Mystic opened her mouth, stretched forward, and then was suddenly tugged back. She looked up to see Phantom had spun back around, and was now straddling her passively, while growling angrily at Carver.

Carver shook his head and grunted, going back to rouse Ashley for another round. Mystic would have appreciated the gesture, but she wasn't really in her right mind anymore. None of them were. Ashley had been the last to go. That orgasm had driven away all rational thought. The day was still young, and none of them were showing any signs of immunity. The buildup of attract took longer on Mystic and Phantom, but they fell all the same. Only time would tell if this exercise would bear fruit.


	36. Chapter 33

Phantom the Shinx

Mystic the Vulpix

Ashley the Alolan Vulpix

Carver the Absol

Chp 33

Phantom woke up, his paws going up to rub his eyes. He managed to get rid of enough of the crustiness to open them. When he did, he saw the aftermath. He remembered what happened yesterday, a day long mating spree. The evidence of which was everywhere. There was a suspicious pond of dried fluids, and the same thing stained all of their fur. He was lying next to Mystic, and Carver was on the other side of the spa, lying on his back with Ashley on top of him. She seemed to be enjoying sleeping on such a fluffy surface, based on her goofy smile. His paws went to his head to try and stop the aching there.

"Well good morning to you too." Mystic said.

"Hey..."

She leaned over and kissed him on the lips, holding the deep kiss for a few moments before backing away slowly. She could have sworn he pressed in when she started to back off. "Don't you ever change on me." She said. "If you'd just fuck me like that all the time, you'd be the best male ever."

"Uh... thanks." He said bashfully.

"You two up?" Ashley asked from across the way. She climbed off Carver, who was awake, but did not want to move. Her belly was still bulging a bit from all the jizz she took.

"Yea. Get ready, we've got work to do." Mystic said.

"Already?" Ashley asked.

"Yes. There's this place called Trickster's House, and we're going to make it to the end. Carver!" She yelled.

"Hmm?" He asked, looking over at her, but still lying on his back.

"I need you to use a full power attract. The strongest you've got."

"Are you su-"

"Do it." She ordered.

"Yes, ma'am." He said begrudgingly, standing and coming over to her. He lowered his head, about a foot away from her, and looked her right in the eyes. His eyes widened, and a massive pink beam shot from his face, hitting her dead on.

Mystic blinked a few times.

"You okay?" Ashley asked.

"A little wet, but..." She shifted her weight around, twitching her body and shaking each leg experimentally. "I'm fine."

"Maybe we should bathe first..." Phantom offered.

"Alright. Baths, then the place.

Two years later.

"Alright class, I've been asked to come in today for sex ed. Anyone know who I am?" The ninetales at the front of the room asked. To her left, a kangaskhan sat, and all over the room were pokemon scattered around, sitting on the floor.

A buizel raised her hand. "Are you a substitute?"

A eevee raised his. "You're from the Rescue Foundation, right?" He asked.

"Yes." The ninetales said. "This tip you off?" She lowered her head and twitched the ear her badge was on. "Anyways, your teacher asked me to come in and teach today's lesson. And that lesson is genitalia."

The kangaskhan teacher pressed the button on the wall that activated the projector. As it came on, the room went quiet. An anatomy chart of a canine penis came up, specifically a mightyena, came up on the wall. "This is the male anatomy of a canine. Notice the tip and the knot." Two of her tails pointed at the spots. Another of her tails pointed at the teacher, who changed the slide. "And this is the female anatomy. There are still species differences, but not as extreme as in males. Speaking of, every species has their own unique genitalia. However, it is not a hard law or anything." Next slide. It was not an anatomy chart, instead a real picture. It was of a luxray, lifting one leg to reveal his large, 10'' erect black member. It was the traditional cone shape of a feline, but had a knot at the base. "This is a luxray who had a arcanine father, and inherited some of his traits."

After a short while of questions, the bell rang. "Thanks for having me." The ninetales said. She exited out into the hall of the school, and went back outside, where a luxray was waiting. "That was fun." She said when she got to him.

"Okay... uh, I guess we should head home. Ashley is probably back by now."

"Why not." Mystic said.

They left Journey Town and got back to their base. They arrived at the exact same time as Ashley and Carver. Ashley had also evolved, and there was something else. Her belly was visibly bulging with an egg.

"Try not to be so transparent." Ashley looked at Mystic. "I can see how jealous you are."

"We don't need to rush into having a kid. We've got our whole lives ahead of us." Mystic said.

"Yea, that's what a jealous person would say."

"Whatever. No matter what, I'm not gonna make Phantom give me a baby until HE'S ready." One of her tails snaked down and tapped Phantom's balls, making him jump.

"In that case, you'll be waiting forever." Ashley teased back. All was silent for a moment, before they both burst out laughing.

"Hey..." Phantom whined, shy about being the center of such a conversation.

Hunter stepped out of his small wood hut. The clouds were heavy with rain, and it would be a cold night. He had to get some logs for a fire. He took a step forward, but stopped.

"No. No fire tonight." He turned and went back inside.

He had been living too easily. That was not his intention in coming out here to the middle of nowhere. Maybe the cold would ease his woes.

"Are you sure we can really stay here?" Clara asked.

"Yeah, we've got plenty of space. And we could use some company. It's been the two of us for so long. And it's nice to have some children running around. Maybe it'll convince Mewtwo." Mew said.

"I've told you, I'm sterile." Mewtwo explained again.

"I can dream can't I!?" She shouted, making a exaggeratedly sad face. But she couldn't hold it, and was back to beaming in a second.

There was a crash from the other room. "What was that?" Clara shouted.

"Toby knocked down a lamp. No one's hurt." Prince shouted back.

"So what have we got planned for tomorrow?" Phantom asked.

"Well, I don't have anything, so I guess we can go on an adventure. Should be fun."

"Yeah..." Phantom looked away for a moment, took a deep breath, and looked back. "I... love you." Phantom whispered, getting quieter with every word.

"Me too." Mystic said, leaning over and smooching him quickly.

"Get a room." Ashley snickered.


End file.
